Ginny's Scene Change
by Hyperactive Lioness
Summary: Ginny's facing some difficulties in her third year at Hogwarts. She's seeing a new side to many people, including her longtime crush and an apparent enemy. Who and what will Ginny chose?
1. Chapter 1: Malfoy

**Hello! Here's a new fanfic for y'all, and it's Ginny centric, something that I've never done before and something that's sure to please IamCharlie! :) So here it is, I hope it's enjoyable...**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the world of Harry Potter, Ginny, Ron's problems, or Scene Change by the White Tie Affair, so...  
**

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_**"Can you get in where you fit in?"**_ -The White Tie Affair; 'Scene Change'

Chapter One: Malfoy

Ginny was walking with the Golden Trio.

If by "walking" she was trailing along, always a few steps behind, never really _in _the conversation.

She hated feeling left out, but it was a feeling she got used to more and more as time went on. She was almost indifferent to it now. Almost.

"...can't believe we're fourth years!" Ron was saying. Ginny rolled her eyes, already semi-tired of her brother's mindless chatter. She _could _attempt to jump into the conversation, but really couldn't handle being blown off again. Harry then said something, and everybody laughed. Ginny tried not to look at him.

She had never really gotten over her not-so-minuscule crush on the Chosen One, but in her mind, she did a pretty good job of concealing it. Her family now practically fully believed their only daughter had finally gotten over her infatuation with Harry Potter.

But she hadn't.

She loved everything from his bright green eyes to his messy black hair, but it wasn't like she'd ever admit it, even to her closest friends.

Speaking of closest friends, Ginny wasn't even sure that she _had _one within her own House. Sure, she talked and was friendly with the other Gryffindors of her age, but she wouldn't ever share secrets of this enormity with them. Her closest friend in all of Hogwarts was Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw, and they only had two classes together.

So it was a miserable, crushing, and friendless Ginny who was walking towards the Great Hall that night.

"Look who it is."

Ginny started from her thoughts when she heard a venomous voice directed at the group of three in front of her, then rolled her eyes. Who else would it be, but a Slytherin?

"What do you want?"

Ron's voice, equally venomous, filled the air.

_I wonder why Ron even wants to start something with a Slytherin, _Ginny thought. _It's like he's so confident his new status as a fourth-year is enough to protect him from stinging comments about him and our family. _

She vaguely heard the argument that was conspiring with Ron and the Slytherins, and watched Harry start talking loudly also. Ron added violent looking arm and hand gestures to his already loud argument.

_He won't allow me to even _look _at a Slytherin, and here he is, picking a fight with a group of them!_

It was true. Anytime her gaze "just so happened" to fall on the Slytherin table, even if it was just by accident, Ron would see it as either an excuse to threaten to write to their mother, or pull out his mental list of why Slytherins and Gryffindors shouldn't mix. Ginny practically had it memorized from all the times Ron recited it at her.

_Number one hundred and two. Gryffindors have better hair then those slimy Slytherin gits. _Ginny smiled to herself. _Ron needs some help._

She saw that the Golden Trio had moved on, so she hurried to catch up with them. As she passed Malfoy and a group of his friends, she heard him speak.

"Hey, Weaselette."

She spun around. "What do you want?"

"Such a nasty tone," he was smirking, as usual. "I just wanted to say hello."

"Since when?" she spat back. "You've never bothered with me before."

"Exactly." The rest of his group had moved on, and they were alone in the hallway. "I expected your protective friends wouldn't have wanted you talking with a big bad Slytherin."

Ginny said nothing.

"Well, Weaselette, I guess I'll see you around." He turned his back to her and set off for the Great Hall. For a wild second Ginny wanted to call him back, to ask what that was all about. Then, once again, her thoughts were interrupted by Ron.

"Ginny, where were you?" Ron, Harry and Hermione came out of the Great Hall and walked towards her. "The feast is about to start!"

"Oh... um..." Ginny racked her brain for an idea, then decided on the truth. "Malfoy wanted to say hi to me." The effect it had on her brother and his friends was predictable, if annoying.

"_What_?" Ron growled. "What did _he _want?"

"Relax, Ron!" Ginny said hastily. "He just wanted to say _hello_!"

"Malfoy never wants to just say _hello_!" Ron spat angrily. "He must have something else up his sleeve... Has it out for my little sister now..."

Ginny's mouth dropped open. How dare Ron imply that she can't take care of herself, and he knew that she _hates _the term 'my little sister'. "Hermione? Harry? Are you _hearing _this?" Harry turned to face her, an odd look gracing his features.

"Ginny? I think you should listen to Ron," he said forcefully as Hermione nodded in the background. "You haven't been here as long as we have. We've dealt with Malfoy before. Just stay away from him."

Ginny felt blazing anger surge through her, both at Ron's smug look at seeing his sister get told off by her crush, Harry's angry tone, and Hermione doing nothing but nodding behind them both. Every inch of her being screamed, _Why should I listen to you three? Don't you think I can take care of myself? I'm only a year younger then the three of you, surely I can handle _one _arrogant git, I already live with Ron! _But, as usual, she said none of this, just kept it bottled inside. She simply smiled weakly, and found herself a seat at the Gryffindor table, far away from the bookworm, her brother, and they boy she loved.

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**Well there it is. I can tell you from my experience that the chapters'll be much longer... I have only one thing left to say.**

**READ AND REVIEW! **

**(But I'll feed any flames to baby Norbert!)**

**:Hyperactive Lioness:  
**


	2. Chapter 2: Mission

**Here's a new chapter! And bear with me. I know that Astoria Greengrass is two years younger then Draco, but in this fic she's in the same year as Ginny. It's fiction, people.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own pretty much ANYTHING!  
**

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_**"Can you get in where you fit in?"**_ -The White Tie Affair; 'Scene Change'

**Chapter Two: Mission**

All throughout the Opening Feast, Ginny's mind was elsewhere. She paid no attention to Dumbledore's opening speech or the Sorting, she just kept replaying Malfoy's comments in her mind, and what the Golden Trio had to say about it.

And it didn't help matters at all that she had a direct view to the Slytherin table.

She had never gotten a really good _look _at any of the Slytherins, in case Ron had spotted where her gaze was directed and got ideas, but now she could look to her heart's content. She was too mad with Ron to care.

Malfoy was sitting right in her line of view, talking with a tall black Slytherin to his left. Ginny distantly remembered hearing his name before...

_Blaise, _she thought. _That's his name. Blaise Zabini._ Sitting beside Zabini was a girl Ginny almost disliked by sight.

Pansy Parkinson was a giggler, and her giggles were high-pitched and annoying. Ginny couldn't help thinking-

_If I was sitting right there, I'd have to strongly resist the temptation to strangle her. _

Sitting across from the rest of them, backs to her, Ginny recognized Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's large and brutish thugs. Sitting beside them were three backs that Ginny didn't recognize. One, a male, had spikey black hair, and the other two, females, one had long, curling blonde locks, and the other had shorter, straight blonde hair.

Too far away to hear their conversation, Ginny turned her attention back to her plate.

She couldn't help but become distracted, however, by the same matter that had plagued her before.

_Why _had Malfoy said something half-decent to her when he had never really acknowledged her at all?

_Why_ were Ron, Hermione and Harry so quick to dissuade her from ever talking to him?

And _why _did she now feel an urgent need to do just that?

**:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Two days later, Saturday dawned, beautiful and sunny. Ginny made her way out of the Gryffindor common room, a girl with a mission.

She was going to have a _talk _with Draco Malfoy, whether he wanted it or not.

She headed toward the Great Hall, although she didn't really feel like having breakfast. Peeking in, she saw that at least two dozen Slytherins were occupying their table, but she didn't see the blond head she was looking for.

For the next thirty minutes, all Ginny did was Malfoy-hunt. And for the next thirty minutes, she had no luck at all finding him. She had searched _everywhere_, the Quidditch pitch, the Great Hall, by the lake... Anywhere and everywhere a self-respecting teenage wizard would go on a beautiful Saturday morning.

**:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

"He's in the library," Zabini told her bluntly, not asking _why _a third-year Gryffindor was looking for Malfoy. "Transfiguration homework." She thanked him and ran, not paying attention to the many pairs of questioning Slytherin eyes on her.

_Who would've thought that he'd stay inside and do his homework on a day like this? That sounds like Hermione, not some devil-may-care Slytherin!_

Leaning outside the door to the library, she attempted to catch her breath and smooth down her red hair. She then wrenched open the library door and casually walked inside. It didn't take her very long to find Malfoy. Even though he was partially obscured by a tall stack of books at his table in the furtherest corner of the room, he was still the only person in the library besides Madam Pince.

Pulling out the only other chair at Malfoy's table, she plunked herself down, facing him.

"For the _last _time, Goyle, if I don't get this essay done, McGonagall's going to skin me alive, so I suggest leaving me to work in _peace_," he said all in one breath, not even looking up from the book he was holding; 'Transfiguration: An Art And A Science'.

Ginny made a small noise in the back of her throat; he mistook her for _Goyle_?

Realizing that whoever had made that noise that had come from across the table _wasn't _Goyle, Malfoy looked up in surprise.

"Who th-- why, Weaselette," he drawled. "To whom do I owe this pleasure?"

"Quit the act, Malfoy," she said harshly. "I want to know a few things."

"If you're coming to me for Transfiguration tips, I'm afraid I can't help you there," he said, looking dejectedly down at the open book. Ginny almost laughed at his expression, but composed herself in time.

"I want to know why you wanted to say hi to me the other day," she said hurriedly, not stopping to think. When the words were out of her mouth, she realized how incredibly stupid they sounded. It appeared that Malfoy also thought it amusing, as he didn't try to contain a smirk.

"I thought that Potter and his friends were doing a pretty thorough job of ignoring you, so I decided to make myself heard," he replied. "No evil intentions, no tricks up my sleeve. You can sleep easy now, Weaselette."

"They weren't ignoring me," she retorted, not knowing why she was defending them. "They were just..."

"Walking six feet ahead of you, lost in their own discussions?" Malfoy smirked again as he finished her sentence for her. "Do you have _any _friends, Weaselette?"

"Will you stop _calling _me that?" Ginny exploded, earning herself a disapproving look from Madam Pince and yet another smirk from Malfoy. "Okay, so I don't have many close friends. What do you care?"

"I _personally _don't care all that much," he replied. "It's just that I know someone who has a predicament similar to yours."

"Who?" Ginny asked, curiosity piqued.

"She's in the same year as you," Malfoy said as he opened his book again. "She's one of the only two Slytherin girls in her year. The other one's only interested in studying. Her name's Astoria Greengrass."

_Greengrass... Greengrass..._Ginny had heard that name before. "Isn't she in _your _year?"

"That's her sister, Daphne."

"So why doesn't she have any friends, if you know her so well?"

"She does hang out with us most of the time, but it's hard when your only friends are a year above you and you don't have any classes or anything with them."

Ginny nodded, understanding this Astoria girl's plight, but then shot up out of her chair.

"Why do you want _me _to be her friend?" she said, suddenly angry and suspicious of this boy of whom she had heard so many bad things. "My family's a bunch of poor blood-traitors, remember?"

"You just seemed the friendly type," he shrugged and unrolled a piece of parchment. "You didn't seem too judgmental. It was just a suggestion. Now if you'll excuse me..." Dipping a long quill into a bottle of ink, he began writing, and Ginny knew she wouldn't get anything else out of him.

She shook out her robes and exited the library without a backwards glance.

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**So there it was!**

**REVIEW!**

**:Hyperactive Lioness:  
**


	3. Chapter 3: Maybe

**Here is the newest installment of 'Ginny's Scene Change'! Enjoy, my wonderful readers!**

**THANKS: To everyone who reviewed, and IamCharlie for the wondu-bah encouragement! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter!  
**

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_**"Can you get in where you fit in?"**_ -The White Tie Affair; 'Scene Change'

**Chapter Three: Maybe**

Ginny took her usual seat in Snape's once-a-month Saturday Potions lesson with the other third-year Gryffindors. Her mind had been wandering ever since her talk with Malfoy two hours ago. She had realized that it wasn't anything other then that. A talk.

They hadn't been arguing, and the discussion hadn't exactly been pleasant, especially the ending bit. It had just been a _talk_, like one would have with a friend. She didn't stop to dwell on what Ron would say or do if he heard she had been having "friendly discussions" with any Slytherin, especially Malfoy.

Forcing her mind off the delicate subject of Malfoy, she looked over into the Slytherin section of the dungeon. She almost immediately located the girl Malfoy had been telling her about, and Ginny realized that she recognized her.

She was one of the girls with blonde hair who were sitting across from the other Slytherins as the Opening Feast.

_The other girl must've been her sister, Daphne, _Ginny's mind thought subconsciously.

Astoria's head jerked up, as if she knew someone was watching her, and she looked straight into Ginny's eyes. Ginny smiled a little half-smile, cheeks reddening slightly at being cought staring. Astoria didn't return the smile (_Typical Slytherin, _Ginny thought), but her eyes had a friendly glint.

Ginny surprised herself by thinking, _I think that I could actually become friends with her! _As both Astoria and herself turned back to the antidote they were supposed to be brewing, Ginny felt the need to introduce herself to the blonde Slytherin.

_But that can wait until after the lesson, _Ginny was thrown back into the real world of Potions as her cauldron began to froth suddenly. Snape began praising Astoria's seemingly perfect Saccadic Solution (a potion that causes uncontrollable twitching and jerking to the drinker) as Ginny tried to fix her potion. This was one of Ginny's worse classes. Snape was just walking over to her table when Ginny caught a glimpse of what Jonathan, who shared her table, was doing. She quickly emulated him, and the liquid turned the required navy blue color.

"Passable, Weasley," Snape growled, and Ginny sighed in relief.

_Thank Merlin that Jonathan was here!_

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Ginny was the first one out of the dungeon classroom, determined as she was to talk to Astoria. The person in question came out a few minutes later, grumbling about the rat bile she had spilled.

"Um... hi," Ginny said awkwardly. Astoria looked up.

"Oh, hello," she said in what would be considered a friendly tone from a Slytherin to a Gryffindor.

"I couldn't help but notice you pretty much got the hang of that Saccadic Solution," Ginny said. "And I'm pretty sure it'll be on Friday's quiz..."

"And?" Astoria said suspiciously.

"And I'm pretty much hopeless at it," Ginny finished truthfully. It was mostly because of Jonathan that she was passing Potions in the first place. He always sat next to her, and was pretty much a genius, so she copied his every move while attempting to make any sort of potion.

"So you want me to help you learn it?" Astoria asked, catching on quickly. "And gain Gryffindor points? I think not."

"You know that Snape would never give me points, no matter _how _good any potion of mine is," Ginny pointed out.

"Well, that _is _true," Astoria mused. "And I'm not really _against _tutoring you, because, if you don't mind me saying, you could use it..." Ginny nodded vigorously. "And if your brother's that crazy redheaded kid, you're taking a big risk asking a Slytherin for help of any kind, but I don't know what the rest of my House will think."

"Just ask them," Ginny suggested. "And if it's okay with them, and you..."

"Then I'll be your new Potions tutor," the Slytherin said. "My name's Astoria, by the way. Astoria Greengrass."

"Ginny..."

"Weasley," Astoria said, shaking Ginny's hand. "Sister of the crazy redheaded kid."

And Ginny didn't correct her, she just laughed.

Well, it was true.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

"I might be getting tutored in Potions," she announced as she walked up to the Golden Trio in the common room after the end of classes.

"I thought you were passing that class," Hermione said, looking up.

_Only Hermione would keep tabs on everyone's grades, _Ginny thought irritably.

"Just because I look over and see what Jonathan's doing," she retorted. "And I was sick of having no clue what to do, so I got Astoria Greengrass to _maybe _tutor me."

"Isn't she in Slytherin?" Ron asked, and when she nodded, he leapt up. "You are _not _getting tutored by a Slytherin!"

Ginny felt the blind rage bubble up in her again, and this time she let it loose.

"Who are _you, _Ron, to tell me what I can and can't do?" she spat angrily. "What are you going to do? Write to mum and tell her I'm getting extra help from a girl who's good at Potions? Who cares what house she's in, as long as she can tell bile from a bezoar? Well go ahead, write to her! See if I care!"

Ron looked, dumbstruck, at his sister.

"Well, if you want to be in Slytherin so badly," he said when his voice returned.

"What are you _talking _about, Ron?" Ginny exploded. "Just because I asked one of them for help on something means I'm going to stop being a Gryffindor? You know what... Forget it. Think what you want."

"But why'd you go to a Slytherin?" Harry suddenly interjected. "Why not ask Hermione? She wouldv'e helped you."

"Maybe I thought Astoria would've made a good tutor _and _a good friend," Ginny burst out, willing the tears not to come. "Maybe I... Oh never mind. You three wouldn't understand."

"Fine," Harry retorted, and Ginny didn't like his tone of voice, low and menacing. "Fine. If you don't think we're good enough friends, then go and find better ones."

"Fine!" Ginny replied angrily. "Maybe, if I'm lucky, these new friends'll actually _talk _to me!"

She wrenched open the portrait hole and clambered out, hoping against hope that nobody would notice a redheaded girl and her tearstreaked face.

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**Aw, poor Ginny. Ron and Harry were so mean to her, the gits!**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

**:Hyperactive Lioness:  
**


	4. Chapter 4: Moody

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**So yeah... I have nothing much to say, except here's the next chapter! And CharlotteWriter, this is set in the fourth book, ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". And I WILL have the Tournament in it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I have no ownage! None at all!  
**

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**Chapter Four: Moody**

Ginny ran blindly down a corridor, not caring who she pushed or who saw her tears. She just ran.

Noticing she was back at the library, she came to a stop, slowly creaked open the door and stepped inside.

He was still there, reading a different tome on Transfiguration, but at the same table. Turning to leave before he saw her, she accidentally knocked into a small side table with a elaborately carved lamp on top. Silently cursing her clumsiness, she reached to catch the lamp before it fell, but she fell herself.

Though the lamp was safely returned to the table in one piece, Ginny wasn't so sure that her own self was whole. The jutting edge of the table had caused a long gash to form down the side of her left leg, from her knee down to almost her ankle, and it was slowly oozing blood. She winced as she touched it.

"Well if it isn't Weaselette, back to pay me another visit," came Malfoy's drawl. "What happened to _you_?"

"As if you weren't watching," she spat back. He simply rolled his eyes.

"Let's go," he said, waiting for her to pick herself up.

"Go where?" she asked stubbornly.

"The hospital wing," he replied simply. "And on the way, maybe I'll get some answers."

"I have some unanswered questions myself, actually."

"Okay," he said indulgently as they began walking. Ginny was forced to walk with her arm slung across Malfoy's shoulders to keep her balance as she hopped on one foot. "My turn first. What in the _world _were you doing in the library again, crying so hard you tripped and cut your leg up?"

"Can we lie when we answer?" she asked hopefully. He smirked.

"What do you think?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "And you _promise _you won't tell anyone else?" She knew it sounded childish but didn't care.

"I swear on the crest of Salazar Slytherin."

"Does that _mean _anything?" He shot her an incredulous look. "Okay, okay! I was crying because of Ron and Harry." He gave her another look, this one said _'continue, please.' _So she did. "I told them that I had asked Astoria Greengrass for tutoring in Potions."

"So you _did _take my advice?" he crowed. "I knew you two would make good friends!"

"Hold it, we're not friends yet," Ginny warned. "Then... then they said that I shouldn't be in Gryffindor if I was to be tutored by her... That I should go and join Slytherin."

Malfoy's eyes widened.

"That's enough to make anyone mad," he said. "If someone from my own House told me I should go and join Hufflepuff, I'm not sure what I'd do. But I'd bet it would be destructive."

She smiled weakly.

"There's more. I said that I thought Astoria would make a good friend, Harry yelled that I sould try to find better friends then them, and I ended it by saying I'd go and find friends who actually _talk _to me."

"Good for you," Malfoy said unexpectedly. "That'll give Potter something to think about."

"Now for a question of my own," Ginny said after a moment of silence when she had thought of a question she would like to ask of the blond Slytherin. "Why are you not insulting my family? Why are you _helping _a Gryffindor? Why do Harry, Ron and Hermione think you're so terrible when you're acting this _nice _towards me?"

"You know this counts as three questions," he said. "To answer the first one, I only insult your family because I know it'll make your brother angry. And I can't stand him. You haven't given me a reason to loathe you yet, so..."

"I guess that kind of makes sense," Ginny said, shrugging. "Next?"

"I'm _helping _you because you need help," he said matter-of-factly. "Nobody should feel out of place in their own House, even a Gryffindor. So we're finding you new friends in a different House."

"Slytherin?"

"Exactly."

"What if I don't _want _any Slytherin friends?" Ginny retorted. "What if I want to go through the rest of my years at Hogwarts with Luna Lovegood as my only friend?"

"Well, that's your first option," he said. "Your other option is to try to make other friends elsewhere. Astoria was moderately civil to you, wasn't she?"

"Well... Yeah..."

"We aren't evil people," Malfoy said convincingly. "Potter and his friends hate us because we're rivals and we always will be. They told you to stay away from me because they were afraid this was going to happen."

"That _what _was going to happen?"

"That we would start to become friends."

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

They were silent for the rest of the way to the hospital wing after Malfoy had made his ludicrous statement. Ginny's mind was whirling.

_He said... Why did he say... Us? Friends? Ron'll kill me!_

And then she smiled.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Malfoy left her in the care of Madam Pomfrey when they arrived at the hospital wing.

"Oh... I can mend cuts in about a second," Madam Pomfrey said as she bustled around putting a stinging ointment on Ginny's leg and sitting her on a bed. "But this one's pretty deep. I want you to stay until dinnertime, just in case." She made sure Ginny was comfortable, gave her a few books to read, and left.

Ginny looked around, bored already, and picked up a _Daily Prophet _from last year. It had a moving picture of Sirius Black on the cover, and what to do if ever confronted by him on the inside article. Putting it back on the bedside table, she chose a book about Animagi instead.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Two hours later, Ginny was seriously bored. She had completely exhausted her supply of reading material, and she had counted how many bricks were in the wall across from her.

Seven hundred and fifty-three, to be exact.

To keep herself amused, she was now watching the clock that was hanging on the wall with the seven hundred and fifty-three bricks.

_Three seconds... Four seconds... Merlin I'm bored!_

The door to the hospital wing suddenly swung open, and Blaise Zabini walked in.

"Is Madam Pomfrey here?" he asked.

"No--" At that moment, the nurse bustled into the room.

"What's the matter?"

"Draco," Zabini said. "Mad-Eye Moody Transfigured him into a ferret." Ginny bit her tongue to keep from laughing out loud. "McGonagall told us to take him up here, so you can check that he didn't suffer any damage from Moody's little game of bounce-the-ferret."

From the commotion that was coming from outside the door, it sounded like Malfoy didn't enjoy the idea of going to the hospital wing very much.

"--I'm fine, it's that idiot professor who needs to be checked out--"

Ginny rolled her eyes. Only Malfoy would call a professor an idiot where any number of teachers could be lurking about.

In the end, Malfoy's protests were both null and void, as he was no match for both Crabbe and Goyle. They marched him through the door and deposited him in front of Madam Pomfrey.

"Thanks a lot," Malfoy snarled. Ginny and Zabini watched this whole spectacle unfold with an air of amusement.

Madam Pomfrey ran her wand down his arms and legs, had him recite the alphabet and read a paragraph from the _Daily Prophet_. When she was thoroughly convinced that he had suffered neither physical nor mental damage, she left, muttering.

After she had left, Malfoy sat on the bed next to Ginny's.

"That's going to bruise," he muttered, fingering a spot on his arm.

"What did you do to make Moody angry, anyway?" Ginny asked, curious.

"I tried to hex Potter when his back was turned," Malfoy said spitefully. "It missed, too. And then, bang, I was a ferret, being flung around the Great Hall to the great amusement of a one-eyed professor. And that stone floor _hurts_!"

"Why did you try to hex Potte--Harry?" Ginny questioned.

"He insulted my mother."

"If it makes you feel any better," Ginny said, thinking of her mum and all the love she had for her, "I'd want to hex him, too."

Blaise Zabini watched this discussion disbelievingly. A Malfoy and a Weasley, actually having a budding friendship?

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**Ooh-wee-ooh!**

**What's going to happen in... Dun dun dun, CHAPTER FIVE?**

**Review!**

**:Hyperactive Lioness:  
**


	5. Chapter 5: Malevolence

**Hola! Because this chapter is rather short... I have some lyrics for you guys! Here we go!**

**Scene Change by The White Tie Affair**

**Verse 1:**  
Walk softly, don't wanna disturb the dead  
Is it an enemy in front of me, or have I been mislead?  
Should I stay or fold, I think I'll pack my s--t and go  
I've always been the wait around type, underground  
Nothing more then a friend

**Pre-Chorus:**  
Wear these clothes, walk this way  
Do exactly what they say  
It's your life, but their way  
Follow me, it's all the same  
x2

**Chorus:**  
So count your chips and roll the dice  
You might find that it's twice as nice  
Around and 'round again  
(Get in where you fit in)  
I know it's quite deceiving when I look  
But I don't see me  
Around and 'round again  
(Get in where you fit in)

**Verse 2:**  
I think that I might try and find  
Another way to buy it  
I should just get out of the way, no  
I guess this ain't so bad,  
It was the best time that I never had  
It's my move,  
My say,  
I think I like it this way

**Pre-Chorus:**

**Chorus:**

**Bridge 1:**  
How does it feel to be alone?  
How does it how does it feel to be  
x2

**Pre-Chorus**  
x2

Yeah  
x4

**Bridge 2:**  
Scene change  
La da da, la da da da da  
We change  
La da da da  
Can you get in where you fit in?  
x2

**Chorus:**

**Verse 3: **  
Cross my heart and hope to die  
And make it through this common lie  
It's your move, their way  
Can you get in where you...  
Cross my heart and hope to die  
And make it through this common lie  
It's your move, their way  
Can you get in where you fit in?

**So that was the song that inspired me to write this story. I encourage you to listen to it, the White Tie Affair rock my socks off!**

**DISCLAIMER: I have NO ownage of anything! Not at all! So... Too bad!  
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**Chapter Five: Malevolence**

Ginny sat by herself in a lonely section of the Gryffindor table. Apparently the whole House had learned of her argument with Harry, Ron and Hermione, and _apparently, _no one was on her side.

Ron was at the furthest end of the table, talking in undertones with a bunch of Gryffindors, the likes of whom included the rest of the Golden Trio, Dean, Seamus, Neville and Lavander, and they were all shooting hate-filled glances at Ginny.

"Found better friends yet?" Pavati whispered spitefully as she passed Ginny on her way to sit with the others "Guess not."

Ginny was about to make a scathing retort when a white origami crane landed by her plate. Noticing the scrawl decorating the inside, she unfolded it, wary.

_Dear Weaselette, _(the note read)

_Although it looks fun at the Gryffindor table, we know you could be having a much better time elsewhere. Come back to the library after dinner and I'll introduce your new Potions tutor._

Ginny rolled her eyes at the note, which was obviously from Malfoy. From a Slytherin or not, the note was still painfully true. She'd rather be almost _anywhere _rather then the Gryffindor table, being ridiculed and insulted both behind her back and to her face.

Looking up suddenly at the Slytherin table, she felt a sudden pang of longing.

_Now _there's _a group of friends, _she reasoned.

Unbeknownst to Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy and Zabini had bewitched whatever it was they were eating, so that whenever they took a bite, another foot of hair shot out the back of their heads. The hair was almost touching the floor now, and Crabbe and Goyle were still clueless.

Astoria, Daphne and the black haired boy Ginny had learned was named Theodore Nott were shaking with laughter, while Malfoy and Zabini were innocently playing a game of Exploding Snap.

_I'd give anything to be over there right now, _Ginny surprised herself by thinking.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

The library was deserted when Ginny arrived. She had thought about going to meet Malfoy and Astoria all throughout dinner, and had finally decided not to go.

She still didn't fully trust Malfoy, even though he _did _help her, that still didn't cancel out all the things she had heard about him and had saw with her own eyes.

_He's not my friend, _she tried to convince herself. _I don't _want _him to be my friend. Astoria's something different, but Malfoy? No._

But then she thought of a new problem.

_If I'm going to be hanging around Astoria, provided we can stand each other, then Malfoy's probably going to be there too, and we can't always be fighting or I'm never going to get any work done, _she reasoned. _So... We could just be casual acquaintances. Not friends, not enemies._

So it was decided. She would go to the library.

But oddly, the real clincher of the deal was Harry.

"Hey, Gin'," he said as he slid into a seat across from her.

"Don't call me that," she snapped as she stood up. She really wasn't in the mood.

"Come on," he implored. "Why are you acting so _strange_?"

"Me? Act _strange_?" she practically yelled. "You have to be kidding me! I'm not spelling it out for you, Harry. Just go back to your little whispering group of _buddies _and continue to glare at me. I know you want to! What are you even talking to me for, anyway?"

"We just don't want to see you hanging around Slytherins!" he practically yelled back. "And we _are _good friends!"

"To yourselves, maybe!" she was getting really angry. "Definitely not to me!"

"How'd you figure?" he challenged.

"How about you _figure _for yourself?" she snarled. And yelling aloud for the whole Hall to hear, she said, "and stay _away _from me, Potter!"

She caught the barest glimpse of his dumbstruck face before she ran. Out of the Hall, up multiple flights of stairs, down corridors, past classrooms, tears streaking down her face the entire way. When she reached the library, however, she found she had no more tears to shed.

Reaching to her face to wipe away the remaining tears, Ginny realized something else was gone.

She felt no more affection for Harry Potter. Every last drop of love that she had carried with her ever since she first laid eyes on him had been purged from her body, and was replaced by a feeling that was strange, almost alien to her.

Hatred.

She felt hatred towards him.

But that was preposterous. Ginevra Weasley couldn't possibly _hate _Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One?

Could she?

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**Could she? Can she? Will she? Won't she?**

**Ooh, many questions, some of whom don't make any sense. Stay tuned, Ginny gets an attitude in the next chapter! :)**

**REVIEW!**

**:HYPERACTIVE LIONESS:  
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	6. Chapter 6: Misanthropy

**Hola! Since this chapter is kind of short again... (just wait until chapter Eight...) I have a little thing for you guys to do! **

**MY RANDOM QUIZ:**

**1) In this story, who is your favorite character so far? (In this STORY, not the books.)  
A. Ginny  
B. Harry  
C. Draco  
D. Hermione  
E. Ron  
F. Other (Please Specify)**

**2) What would you like to see happen THE MOST in this story?  
A. The Triwizard Tournament  
B. Romance! :P  
C. The Yule Ball  
D. Classes  
E. Other (Please Specify)**

**3) This is where you get to show me your smarts\awesomeness! I need a few PASSWORDS for the Slytherin common room! So just give me a few... And I might use them in later chapters! :)**

**^Do the quiz! And here's my short chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this sadly SHORT chapter!  
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**Chapter Six: Misanthropy**

"You showed up," Malfoy said appraisingly as he approached her in the library, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, Astoria, Daphne and Theodore Nott behind him. "I wasn't sure you would, but after your little blowup in the Great Hall, I figured, _where else does she have to go_?"

"Shut up, ferret," Ginny snapped as she sat herself in an uncomfortable wooden chair. "What do you want, and why did you bring most of the Slytherin population?"

"We're just here so you can get to know us."

"Get to kn-- What are you talking about?"

"Well..." Malfoy said grandly, as if this was a speech he had prepared. "If Astoria's going to be your little Potions tutor, that means you're probably going to be around the rest of us Slytherins pretty often. Astoria was even talking about having some meetings in our common room, _after _we speak to the rest of our House, of course. So, here we are."

"Are you going to introduce yourselves now?" Ginny asked sarcastically.

"And we were talking," Malfoy went on as if he hadn't heard Ginny's comment. "And we decided we're using first names now."

"So... No more _Weaselette_?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"Nope." Malfoy smirked. "Not unless you liked it." Ginny just rolled her eyes, it was answer enough.

"Anyway," Zabini broke in. "You can call me Blaise."

"Daphne."

"Astoria, your Potions tutor." She actually returned Ginny's smile this time.

"I'm Theodore, Theodore Nott."

"We sometimes call him Theo," Daphne supplied helpfully.

"Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle," Malfoy said, pointing at them. "But they'll still answer to 'Crabbe' and 'Goyle'."

Ginny nodded.

"And I'm Draco," he added, then smirked again. "Imagine Potter's face when he hears we're on first-name basis." She managed a half-smile, the memory of their last encounter was still fresh in her mind.

"And may we call you..." Blaise let it hang, also smirking.

"Ginny," she said, and for the first time in a while, her smile was genuine.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Ginny was curled into a chair by the fire in the Gryffindor common room, still smiling from her talk with the Slytherins an hour earlier.

They had set the date for her first tutoring session for the next day, and it was to be located in the Slytherin common room. This was perfectly fine, as every Slytherin had been forewarned, and Draco had talked to Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin.

Snape had been wary about letting a Gryffindor into his House's domain, but after he had heard about Ginny's Potions trouble and her fight with the Golden Trio (and Ginny suspected some sweet-talking from Snape's favorite student also had helped), he had consented.

Ginny yawned, about ready for bed. She stretched and rose slowly from her chair, but rough hands pushed her back down.

"What the hell?" she shrieked, and looked up. Ron was leering over her, Harry and Hermione in the background. "Ron!"

"What's wrong with you?" Ron barked hoarsely. "Using Harry's last name, then running away to who-knows-where for hours? What has gotten _into _you?"

"I'll say this once, and then never again," she said, her voice low and menacing. "I don't want anything to do with you three anymore. I can make my own decisions, go my own way, and find my own friends. Do _any _of you have a problem with that?" All three of them looked taken aback by Ginny's tone, but it was Hermione who eventually spoke.

"Ginny," she said, her voice cajoling. "Stop trying to rebel. We know you just want attention..."

"Stop trying to be my mother, Hermione," she stood back up and walked toward the girl's dormitories. "I do _not _just want attention. I _want _friends who actually care about me. And I might've found some, and newsflash, they're not you."

She took the stairs two at a time, and flung herself through the door marked 'third years' and onto her four-poster. No tears this time, however, just satisfaction.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

The sun dawned the next day (Sunday) but nobody could see it. Grey clouds covered the sky, and a slight drizzle fell upon the Hogwarts grounds.

Ginny ate breakfast in the Great Hall, avoiding the gazes of the rest of her housemates, all of whom had either heard or heard _of _her blowup last night in the common room. She had endured glares, nicknames of 'Snake', 'Slytherin Wanna-be' and the like, whispered words of malice, and works of magic in the hallways that definitely weren't by 'accident', as their casters claimed.

And guess what? Every single offender was a Gryffindor.

Ginny was about sick of the members of her House. She felt that they were definitely overreacting, but due to some rumors that were spread, she was surprised that she wasn't expelled.

So when Ginny finished her hurried breakfast, she went to the entrance to the dungeons without delay, only enduring two whispered insults, one offending hand gesture and a mild hair-pulling charm along the way.

Rubbing her scalp, she stepped down the stairs into the dungeons.

"Welcome," said Malfoy suddenly.

She spun around and there he was, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle and wearing a devious smile.

"Where are the rest of them?"

"Back in the common room," he answered. "Astoria's getting ready for her big lesson, and Theodore's going to be helping her. So, if you'll come with me..."

They set off, walking down the candle-lit passageways. They stepped outside of what seemed to be just another stretch of wall, indistinguishable except for a small snake chiseled into the corner of one of the stones.

Malfoy muttered something to the wall, and it slid open. This wall was obviously password-operated, just like the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

"Sorry, we don't trust you _that _much yet," he said with a smirk as she stepped into the Slytherin common room.

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**And then... The end of the chapter!**

**:)**

**You know you love me. I'll probably have the next installment up tomorrow, because, as IamCharlie so wisely stated, 'A chapter a day keeps the doctor away'. And we no likey the doctor. So KEEP AWAY, fool doctor! **

**REVIEW!**

**:Hyperactive Lioness:  
**


	7. Chapter 7: Misconception

**And here be the next chapter... Because, as you all know, 'a chapter a day keeps the doctor away'.**

**So... This chapter doesn't really have much action in it (that means no Ron, Harry or Hermione, basically no Gryffindors besides Ginny), it's basically just Ginny getting to be more comfortable with the Slytherins, and the first Potions tutoring lesson, and Draco has an amazing line which he says to Astoria. I wrote this chapter at about twelve-thirty at night... So let's see if that affects my writing skills (if any).**

**I have been blabbing.**

**No more blabbing.**

**READ THE CHAPTER!  
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**DISCLAIMER: Okay, I'm not doing these anymore. Just see the chapters before this if you really care.  
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**Chapter Seven: Misconception**

Ginny loved the common room as soon as she set foot inside it. It was long and low, there were windows where green-tinged light filtered through, high-backed chairs and comfortable looking sofas surrounded an elaborately carved fireplace, and it was all tastefully decorated with varying themes of snakes in green and silver.

Ginny settled herself on a sofa already occupied by Daphne and Astoria.

"Welcome to our common room!" Astoria said brightly.

Looking around again, Ginny noticed that a lot of Slytherins were way more loud and fun-loving then they let on to the rest of the Hogwarts population.

Their cold and arrogant façade came off in the safety of the common room. There was even a violent game of what looked like Exploding Snap going on in one corner.

This was a loving, family-infused environment, Ginny could tell. And strangely, it felt like she belonged here.

It felt like _home_.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

"To begin our lesson," Astoria started her first tutoring session by doing an extremely accurate impression of Professor McGonagall. "We will be learning how to Transfigure... Oh, sorry, I have the wrong subject..."

Ginny laughed along with the rest of them. These "new" Slytherins were fascinating. Astoria was a comedian, always making jokes or poking fun at other students or professors. She reminded Ginny very forcibly of Fred and George.

Theodore was the scholar, quiet, intelligent, and never without a book. Ginny _would _have said he was like Hermione, except for one thing. He never tried to force his knowledge on anyone.

Daphne was the listener. She was always ready with a helping hand or good advice. If Ginny, for any reason, would ever want a big sister she'd choose Daphne.

Her first assumptions about Pansy Parkinson were, sadly, correct to a certain extent. She was annoying, vain, shallow, and slightly obsessed with Draco, who didn't care for her in the least.

And lastly, Draco and Blaise.

They were best friends; both sarcastic, both witty, and they argued, a lot. Their disputes about petty things were often fun to watch, but one thing never changed. They were always there for each other.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

"And _that _is how you make a proper Saccadic Solution," Astoria said proudly. "See, your problem was that you were adding the fluxweed _before _your two counter-clockwise stirs. And the knotgrass goes in _before _the shrivelfig skin, not afterwards."

"Okay," said Ginny, who was busy making notes. "Yeah, I get it! And it all makes sense now, I can't believe I learned all that with just one lesson!"

"It must be the teacher," Astoria grinned.

"Oh mighty teacher, your cauldron is overflowing," Draco drawled from his armchair. Astoria let out a little shriek and grabbed the cauldron before any more potion could spill into the fire.

Ginny and the other Slytherins laughed as some of the Scaccadic Solution splashed onto Astoria's unprotected finger and the appendage began to twitch uncontrollably.

"I guess we know that it's made correctly," she shrugged, joining in with them, laughing. "Just imagine the possibilities... A few drops of this in Potter's pumpkin juice at dinner..." She then remembered who was in the room with them, and looked quickly at Ginny to see her reaction; but Ginny didn't notice.

"What if we gave some to Hermione, too," she said dreamily, obviously imagining the scene Astoria had painted. "And my brother, too!" She laughed out loud at the image of the Golden Trio unable to stop twitching.

"Now you're thinking like one of us," Blaise said approvingly, unable to keep back a smile.

"Speaking of Potter," Ginny said suddenly, her tone serious. "_And _my brother. I've had this question for a while now. Is all of this genuine? Your friendship, this group... Or is it all just to play with their minds?"

"A little of both," Draco answered truthfully. "We all really _do _want to become friends with you, and if we get to aggravate Potter and the Weasel along the way, then why not?" She smiled.

"Okay then."

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

For the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, Ginny was on Cloud Nine. If it wasn't her best day ever, it had to be pretty high on the list.

She was introduced to every Slytherin they could find, and mostly everyone was friendly to her. They had all heard about or saw firsthand the Gryffindor's treatment of her, and were more then happy to become a surrogate House for her. Ginny actually felt like ripping the Gryffindor crest from her robes at one point.

And then they flew.

Ginny hadn't been on a broomstick ever since her older brother Charlie had taught her to fly, and it was a great feeling to be up in the air again.

She did a couple of laps around the Quidditch pitch on a borrowed Nimbus 2001 from one of the Slytherin Beaters, and then Draco, Blaise, Astoria and herself had an impromptu game of Catch the Snitch. Daphne let out the tiny Golden Snitch, they gave it a thirty-second head start, then tore after it.

Both she and Draco spotted the Snitch lurking at the bottom of a goal post, and they both dove.

Draco caught it, but only (or so Ginny argued) because at the last minute he kicked the tail-end of her broom, causing her to spin out of control, losing her the game.

He denied it, of course.

Typical Slytherin.

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**Ha ha, just gotta love blond, cheating Slytherins.**

**REVIEW!**

**:Hyperactive Lioness:  
**


	8. Chapter 8: Mutiny

**Hola, all my dedicated readers! You have on your computer screens the latest and greatest installment of 'Ginny's Scene Change' and it happens to be my favorite chapter so far! **

**We have in this chapter... Fred and George making an appearance! Ron, Harry and Hermione being gits! Basically all the Gryffindors being gits! Theodore gets to be smarticle! There's a cool random name that happens to be two inside jokes at once! Draco being unimpressed and later amazed! Theodore goes into the Restricted Section! Ginny doesn't know what to think! Pavati is a git! My OC comes in, and proves himself to be the gittiest git of all! And Ginny has a mini-spaz at the end! So don't miss any of my FAVORITE CHAPTER! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot and my four random OC's! (Jonathan, Anne, Yon, and Grant)**

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**Chapter Eight: Mutiny**

Ginny sat at a table, alone of course, that night in the Gryffindor common room. She was attempting to complete a Potions worksheet that Astoria had made out, and was stuck on question six.

"Hey, Jonathan," she called to the boy sitting near to her. "What does an infusion of daisy roots do to an Evaporating Elixir?" He sneered at her.

"Like I'd _willingly _let you cheat off me!"

_I can't believe Ron, Harry and Hermione told him that!_

"Look Jon, I'm sorry about the cheating, but..."

"Don't call me 'Jon'!" he growled and went back to his book. "Snake."

Ginny immediately felt this was going too far. She stomped up to Fred and George, two people she _knew _would listen to her and actually reply afterwards.

"Do you know where _they _are?" she implored.

"Fourth-year boys dorm," George said. Fred nodded from behind his twin. "Don't forget to tell your snakey friends 'hi' from us," he added with a laugh. Ginny smiled too. Fred and George were the only ones who regarded this whole thing as a joke, and Ginny was glad that _somebody _saw it that way.

She stopped outside the appropriate door, and knocked.

"Come in." That was Harry's voice. So she did.

"Go out," Ron said meanly as soon as he saw who it was. She didn't let his tone affect her, however, but instead sat on the same bed as Hermione (Harry's) facing Harry and Ron on Ron's bed.

"Why," she said simply, "why are you doing this to me?"

She got no answer, so she tried a different tactic.

"I know I was a little harsh with you three..."

"A _little _harsh?" Harry suddenly burst out. "First you tell us we're failures at being friends, then you call me _Potter _in front of the entire Great Hall, and now we're hearing you're off cavorting with Slytherins!" Ginny's eyebrows furrowed.

"Y'know, it's _my _business who I _cavort _with," she said. "That doesn't mean you have to tell stories and plant rumors and make up nicknames for me!"

"We'll tell everyone to lay off once Ginny comes back," Hermione said firmly.

"Once Ginn-- What? _What_?" she shrieked. "Well what do you call _this_?" She gestured at herself. "If you mean I go back to that meek, friendless character I was at the beginning of this term, then no deal!"

Harry sighed.

"I guess we'll get nothing else out of you, so... You can go now." He waved vaguely in the direction of the door.

"What's this, Potter?" she said in a menacing voice. "You're dismissing me now?"

"Why do you keep using my last name?" he asked angrily.

"Because that's what enemies do," she said. "So get used to calling me _Weasley_, Potter."

She stalked out of the boy's dormitory, and as she slammed that door, she felt the door on any kind of relationship they could've had close, too.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

A week later, Ginny would look back and wonder how she ever survived.

Classes were a nightmare. She had to endure hours of taunts, name-calling and whispers from her fellow Gryffindor third-years, while the teachers looked sympathetically on, but did nothing.

Mealtimes were horrific. She often had to trudge back to her dormitory to change her robes after she was the victim of multiple food items hitting her by "accident", and she had to sit at the same table with the sneering Golden Trio, who seemed to think she deserved everything she got.

And she tried to spend as little time as possible in the common room, because she feared without any adult supervision, her Housemates might get riled enough to inflict actual bodily harm upon her.

The only thing really keeping her sane was the Slytherins involvement in all of this.

Astoria surreptitiously shot her smiles all throughout Potions classes, and tried to schedule tutoring sessions whenever possible. She also wrote Ginny friendly little notes, instructing her to "open them whenever you feel either dejected, murderous or close to tears". Ginny had a small pile of them in her bedside table.

Whenever she saw Daphne or Theodore, they gave her encouraging sort of smiles, and whenever Draco or Blaise smirked at her, she saw the affectionate glint in their eyes.

Tutoring sessions were a sort of heaven-on-earth for Ginny. Whenever she entered the Slytherin common room (they still didn't trust her with the password, which was expected), she didn't want to leave.

Apart from how to tell rat bile from armadillo, Astoria and the rest of the Slytherins gave her other tips, but these were more of the survival type for Ginny.

She had mastered the dismissive sneer, which she used if Harry, Ron or Hermione even so much as _looked _her way, and was working on ignoring offensive comments, which was hard for her. She was used to just flaring up with anger. Keeping her temper in check didn't seem very appealing to her, especially if the Golden Trio wanted another fight.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

That Monday's tutoring lesson was going normally, until Theodore burst into the Slytherin common room, carrying a huge stack of books and old newspapers.

"Look at this!" he kept saying. "Look what I found!" Ginny had never seen the black-haired Slytherin this worked up.

"What did you find?" Blaise asked after they had put his books on the table in between them and made him sit.

"It's possible!" he panted excitedly, still out of breath from his run from the library to the dungeons. "You can change Houses!"

Every mouth in their circle dropped open.

"No you can't," Draco said dismissively. "Good one, Theodore."

"I'm not lying!" he insisted. "Read this!" Draco took the book that Theodore had shoved under his nose.

"It's a list of old Hogwarts prefects," he said, unimpressed.

"Read Anne Bridges' biography, then."

"Anne Martha Bridges," Draco read aloud in a monotone voice. "Became a prefect in her fifth year, in 1756. A Gryffindor, Anne had ambitious plans, which included working at the Ministry of Magic. Owing to the fact that her fellow Gryffindors were seemingly a hindrance in her studies, she invoked the ---- in 1757, thus successfully switching Houses into Ravenclaw."

"Read the one for Yon Jameson," Theodore added, grinning at the shocked silence that filled the room.

When Draco found his voice, he read- "Yon Borus Jameson. Invoked the ---- in 1836, due to the fact that he was being both physically and mentally abused by his older brother and his brother's friends. He switched from Slytherin House into Hufflepuff house that same year. Yon went on to become a Hufflepuff prefect and later, Head Boy."

"That's all," Theodore concluded. Draco set the book down, amazement etched on his face.

"I don't believe it!" he said. "Switching Houses... How do you do it? And what's that blanked out spot, anyway?"

"I went into the Restricted Section," Theodore said. "And I found out what it is in a really old book. It's called the House Reversal Regulation, and it's blanked out of those books because it's not supposed to be used anymore, but still legal. The old headmasters didn't think students woiuld ever find out about it."

"How does it work?"

"It's not that complicated, but hard to carry out," Theodore explained. "You have to get signatures of about half of your current House, consenting your switch, three-quarters of the House you want to move into, and at least fifteen people from the other two Houses. _And _the headmaster, _and _all the Heads of House." Draco bit his lip and turned to Ginny.

"What do you think about all this?"

"I don't know _what _to think!" she burst out. "I'm a Gryffindor, that's where the Sorting Hat put me, and I'm just not sure what to think or feel about all this!"

"That's fine," Daphne soothed her quickly. "It's a big commitment, and I know you might not want to make a rash decision without thinking it over. You just need some time alone."

"Yeah," Ginny said slowly, rising from her chair and walking toward the exit of the Slytherin common room. "Some time to think it over..."

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Ginny was so distracted, thinking about the House Reversal Regulation, that she didn't notice when a foot was casually flung in her direction.

She tripped, Potions supplies and book going everywhere. Her glass container of rat bile landed in her lap, breaking open and soaking her robes with foul smelling liquid.

"Whoops," a hard voice said. She looked up and came face-to-sneering-face with Parvati Patil, a girl she had once been friendly with. "Clumsy me."

"Yeah, right," Ginny said sarcastically. "That was intention as I've never seen it before."

"What's going on here?"

Grant Hughes, a fifth-year Gryffindor prefect, rounded the corner along with the Golden Trio.

"She tripped me," Parvati said tearfully. Ginny spun around to see that the other girl was on the ground, picking up _her _spilled Potions ingredients.

"No---" she began to say, but Grant cut her off.

"Ten points from Slytherin, Weasley," he said meanly. Ginny saw Parvati smirk.

"What?" she cried out. "Points from _Slytherin_? That's not even my House!" Grant glared at her.

"You don't care about Gryffindor, so maybe taking points from the House you _do _care about will provoke you to behave." He turned his back to her with an air of finality and strode off down the corridor.

Ron laughed out loud.

"Wonder how your snake friends'll like that," he said, still smiling broadly. "Ten points, all because of..."

"You know _what_, Ronald Weasley?" Ginny screamed. "To _hell _with keeping my temper! I _loathe _all of you, and the petty depths you sink to get revenge on me for finding new friends! You all are a bunch of abusive, rude, obscene _gits_!" She marched over to Parvati, grabbed her Potions book out of the other girl's hands, then stalked off towards the dungeons.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

A loud, banging noise registered in the Slytherin common room, someone apparently wanted to get in, and badly. Draco sighed, stood up, crossed the room, and opened the door in the wall.

A blur of black robes and red hair sped into the room. Ginny stopped in front of the Slytherins, breathing hard and smelling of rat bile.

"Um..." Draco said. confused.

"If you guys want me, you can have me!" Ginny said shrilly. "Because I don't think I can stand being a Gryffindor anymore!"

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**Cliffie!**

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	9. Chapter 9: Machiavellian

**So, yo. Here we are. Chapter Nine. Good times, good times. Quite, quite.**

**I had this really good idea the other day when I was like half-asleep, and I refuse to tell anyone what it is. Mwhahaha. **

**And I had an idea for a sequel. Do you want a sequel or not?**

**Does anyone even read my author's notes?  
**

**I still need some passwords for the Slytherin common room! The only things I can think of are like 'snake' and 'pure-blood' and 'Draco Malfoy is awesome' but, y'know, I can't use them.**

**So help a chick out and give her some passwords!**

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**Chapter Nine: Machiavellian**

Having a goal helped Ginny get through the next couple of weeks. Every single moment of her free time was spent in the Slytherin common room, scheming over the House Reversal Regulation.

By far, the easiest part of the House Reversal Regulation's requirements was getting three-quarters of the Slytherins to sign their little petition. Having spent time with the youngest Weasley, most of them were absolutely fine with her joining their House. Snape also signed the paper, giving Ginny what looked oddly close to a smile.

Another rule to the House Regulation Rule was that nobody but the House you were switching into could know of your decision. So when Ginny went to the Ravenclaws to try and get them to sign, they were naturally suspicious. But then Luna showed up.

"Ginny doesn't need to tell me what House she wants to be in," Luna said in her dreamy voice. "I'll support her, as long as she's happy with her decision." That alone shamed fourteen other Ravenclaws to sign.

Harder still were the Hufflepuffs. They had always been good friends with the Gryffindors, and wanted to know why she wanted to leave.

"Just sign my paper please, I can't tell you!" Ginny had pleaded. She reckoned she must've looked pretty pathetic, because the Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, Cedric Diggory, came to sign her paper, sending a sympathetic glance her way.

A tactic she had worked on with the Slytherins was "poor little girl", and apparently it worked.

After Cedric had signed, a group of giggly second-years did also, and then two intimidated first years. Three haughty looking seventh years followed, then two prefects. The last signature Ginny needed was given by a smiling Ernie Macmillan. She thanked him, then ran off.

"I have fifteen Hufflepuffs," she panted, handing the paper to Draco. He put it with the Ravenclaw list, then turned to Blaise.

"Show her what we've been working on."

Blaise pulled out a piece of parchment. The heading, in huge letters, read **"The Anti-Ginny Weasley Association"** and there was a long spot for signatures.

"What _is _this?" she asked, extremely confused.

"Show her, Blaise," Draco said, looking extremely pleased with himself.

Blaise put his wand on the paper. The offending words seemed to melt away, revealing the words **"House Reversal Regulation Petition for Ginny Weasley"**. Ginny's eyes widened in understanding. Blaise tapped the parchment twice, and it reversed back to the original.

"So you want me to..."

"Plant this in the Gryffindor common room, yes," Blaise finished her question for her. "We're confident that enough Gryffindors'll sign it, no offense."

"None taken," she replied, still a bit surprised at this new plan.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

The parchment was planted, right in the middle of the largest table in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny checked it when everyone had gone to bed, and there was almost ten signatures on it already. Ginny was both grateful and disgusted by her Housemates at the same time.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Ginny and the Slytherins had agreed to leave the parchment there until the thirtieth of October.

"You do realize that's the same day that the students from Beuxtbatons and Durmstrang are arriving," Blaise commented idly during one of their tutoring sessions. Ginny looked up, startled.

"I almost forgot about the Triwizard Tournament!"

"It doesn't affect us, anyway," Draco replied. "It's only for wizards who are "of age", remember?" Ginny shrugged.

"It's still going to be interesting to watch," she argued. "And what if a Slytherin's the Hogwarts champion?"

"That's almost as likely as Snape using the House Reversal Regulation to become Hufflepuff's Head of House," Blause said dryly. "Knowing the way things go around here, it's most likely to be a Gryffindor."

"Probably," Astoria said, rolling her eyes.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

The next day, Friday the thirtieth, was a whirl of activity for Hogwarts. As the two other schools started to arrive, Ginny took the "Anti-Her" sheet off the table and stowed in in the Slytherin common room along with the other two sheets.

She wasn't surprised to see the Golden Trio's signatures gracing the top, along with Parvati, Neville, Lavender, Dean, Seamus, Jonathan and Grant Hughes, the biased prefect. But she _was _surprised to see that every single Gryffindor girl of her year had signed, as well as Percy. The twins signatures weren't on there, but they were two of the only signatures missing. It seemed as though almost every single person in her House had signed.

_It's for a good cause, _she thought as she smiled grimly.

She stood with the Slytherins as they watched the Beuxtbatons students arrive by flying carriage, and the Durmstrang students arrive by ship. She noticed that the world-famous Bulgarian Seeker, Viktor Krum, was among them, and her mind subconsciously flitted to Ron. He was a huge Krum fan.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Ginny sat at her usual secluded spot at the Gryffindor table during the Welcoming Feast. She wished with all her heart that the House Reversal Regulation was complete so that she could be sitting with the Slytherins at their table, even more so now, because the Durmstrang students had chosen to sit there.

Draco and Viktor Krum were talking animatedly with each other, no doubt about Quidditch. She had shared many engaging discussions about the wizarding sport with the blond Slytherin, from arguments about the match they both attended at the World Cup, to talks about what moves they wanted to learn.

The both wanted to master the Wronski Feint, Draco more so because he was the Seeker for Slytherin, but the move that really attracted Ginny was the Hawkshead Attacking Formation that was popular for the Irish Chasers.

Ginny had often entertained fantasies of being one of the Gryffindor Chasers, but when she had voiced her thoughts, Ron had simply laughed.

"Can you even _fly_?" he had said.

She only flew in secret, as she didn't think that Fred or George would appreciate her taking their brooms without permission.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

In Ginny's mind, the rest of the feast was uneventful. When everyone had finished eating, Dumbledore presented the Goblet of Fire and explained all about the rules and the Age Line he was setting. As soon as everyone was dismissed, she ran up to the Slytherins. The Durmstrang students had already returned to their ship for the night.

"You look like you had an enjoyable feast," Draco commented.

"Are any Slytherins going for it?" she asked, completely ignoring Draco.

"The only one I know of is Warrington," Blaise answered her as they began walking. "But I'll bet every student over seventeen in this castle is planning on secretly putting their name in that goblet."

Ginny nodded in agreement. She went her separate way when they reached the dungeons, and that night her dreams were filled with Wronski Feints, signatures, and the look on the Gryffindor's faces when she had the Slytherin crest pinned to the front of her robes.

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**So yeah, I got some Goblet of Fire action going! **

**And I probably won't do the whole "chapter a day" thing anymore, because SUMMER is here and I have swim team and WORK! :P  
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	10. Chapter 10: Maelstrom

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but I had work and friends and swimming and everything... I don't really have anything else to say, which is a big surprise, I know, but I'll just leave it at that! :)**

**Disclaimer: Me no owney Harry Potter. **

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**Chapter Ten: Maelstrom**

The next night, the whole castle was in upheaval. Everyone was waiting anxiously to see who would become the three champions, and when the feast arrived, Ginny hardly ate a bite. Finally, Dumbledore finished, and the plates cleared themselves.

Dumbledore walked up to the goblet, and it spit out a ragged piece of parchment, which Dumbledore caught.

"The champion for Durmstrang is... Viktor Krum!"

Ginny applauded politely, she saw the Slytherins all congratulating Krum, who then walked to the front, around a corner, and out of sight.

A second piece of parchment came soaring out.

"The Beuxtbatons champion is... Fleur Delacour!"

Ginny clapped for the blonde as she flounced to the front, smiling at anything and everyone, apparently very pleased with herself. Ginny saw some of her fellow schoolmates begin weeping.

_I guess they wanted that champion position themselves... _Ginny thought, resisting the urge to laugh out loud at the ridiculous spectacle some of the Beuxtbatons students were putting on.

"And lastly..." Dumbledore snatched the final piece of parchment as it came flying out of the goblet. "The champion for Hogwarts is..." Ginny sat a little straighter in her seat, attentive. "Cedric Diggory!"

The Hufflepuff table exploded with cheers. Ginny cheered too, even though she was dissapointed that the champion wasn't a Slytherin. Cedric Diggory, after all, had signed her paper.

After Cedric had disappeared into the back room with the rest of the champions, the goblet suddenly flared up again, spitting out yet another piece of parchment, which Dumbledore grabbed instinctively.

His blue eyes widened as he gazed at the paper clutched in his hand.

"Harry Potter," he enunciated slowly and clearly.

**:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

The population of the Great Hall was in shock.

Four _Triwizard champions? _It seemed everyone was thinking the same thing. _How did Harry Potter's name get in the Goblet of Fire? He's not even seventeen yet! _

Ginny got up, practically ran to the Slytherin table, and sat beside Daphne.

"How'd he do it?" she said aloud to the table full of Slytherins and Durmstrang students. "How'd he get the Goblet of Fire to accept his name?" Daphne shrugged.

"I wonder if they'll let him compete?"

"If they do, nobody's going to be that happy about it," Blaise said, smiling deviously. "Maybe his own House, but nobody else. I, for one, am going to be supporting Cedric Diggory, the _real _Hogwarts champion."

**:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

That phrase became very popular in the next few days to use whenever Harry Potter came in hearing range. The entirety of Hogwarts, besides Gryffindor House, was furious with him for becoming the fourth Triwizard champion.

The Slytherins, of course, were nothing short of ecstatic about this turn of events. They took every opportunity to needle Harry, and Ginny watched it all unfold with amusement, even occasionally joining in. Then, somebody made "Support Cedric Diggory" "Potter Stinks" buttons, and they were everywhere like wildfire. Ginny pinned hers to her schoolbag.

And then there was the drama in Gryffindor House itself. Everyone had basically forgotten about Ginny in the face of this new scandal.

Harry and Ron, best friends, had gotten into a fight.

Nobody knew the full details, but everybody knew that the two seemingly glued-at-the-hip people had stopped speaking to each other.

_So the tables have turned, _Ginny thought as she flashed her "Potter Stinks" button in Harry's direction.

**:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

In the light of these new events, Ginny still hadn't forgotten about the House Reversal Regulation.

The signatures from Gryffindor proved to be enough, far more then half the members of her House had signed. All she needed now was the three more signatures from the remaining Heads of House, and the headmaster.

So after the next Herbology lesson, Ginny approached Professor Sprout, quill and parchment in hand.

"Um, Professor? Can I have a word?"

Sprout emerged from behind a Venomous Tentacula, straightening her hat over her flyaway hair.

"Sure, Weasley," she said amicably. "What is it?"

"I'm invoking the House Reversal Regulation," she said quickly, ignoring the professor's shocked look. "Would you sign, giving your consent that I can switch Houses?"

"You can't say what House you want?" Sprout asked. When Ginny shook her head 'no', the Head of Hufflepuff took the quill. "If it'll make you happy, Weasley," she said as she signed her name under Professor Snape's. "I hope you feel welcome in your new House."

**:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Getting Professor Flitwick's signature proved to be just as easy as acquiring Professor Sprout's, and Ginny thought she knew why. They both wanted her to switch into their House.

The squat little wizard who taught Charms, Flitwick toppled right out of his chair when Ginny mentioned the House Reversal Regulation.

"That hasn't been used for centuries, Miss Weasley!" he said shrilly. "But... If it's what you want, Ravenclaw will support you all the way!"

And with that, her Head's paper bore three names.

But she knew that getting the Head of Gryffindor's consent would be much more difficult, and she was right.

"You want to _what_, Weasley?" she shrieked as soon as Ginny began talking.

"Switch Houses," Ginny said nervously. She had been in her Head's line of fire before, and had no desire to repeat that experience. "It has nothing to do with _you_, or Gryffindor, it's just... Well... The people _in _the House, I guess."

"You're going to have to get through petty squabbles between Housemates, Weasley," McGonagall said severely, eying her. "You can't just switch willy-nilly."

"No, Professor," Ginny said desperately. "I've given this a lot of thought, and a lot of work! I want to switch Houses with all my heart, and if it happens, I have no intention of going back on my decision!"

"Is this just to get back at your brother?" the Professor questioned, eyes suddenly softening. "Because I think I have an inkling idea of what House you want to be in."

"At first it was," Ginny replied truthfully. "But I found out that I actually have _friends _in that House, and I feel at home. No offense to Gryffindor," she added hastily.

"None taken," McGonagall said with a strange little half-smile. "Alright. Although I have no desire to lose a student to Professor Snape, give me your paper."

**:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Ginny relayed this information to the Slytherins that same hour.

"I can't believe you got _McGonagall _to let you leave her House," Blaise commented approvingly as he walked her back to Gryffindor Tower. "Well done, young Weasel, well done."

Ginny raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Weasel?"

"My new term of endearment for you."

"But you call my brother 'Weasel'," Ginny pointed out. "And I hardly believe that's supposed to be endearing."

"It depends on how it's used," Blaise argued. "We call Ronald 'Weasel' because we hate him, and it's funny to watch his ears get all red. We call Granger 'Beaver' because we strongly dislike her also, and her teeth are _huge_. We call _you _'Weasel' because, and only because, we love you." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Does that mean I can start calling Draco 'Ferret'?"

"Be my guest," he smirked. "But I'm not responsible for what happens to you afterwards."

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**Hee hee, Blaise is so awesome.**

**REVIEW, people! REVIEW!**

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	11. Chapter 11: Malcontent

**Hey everyone! I know it's been a while, but I've been busy, again. You don't want to hear my lame excuses! On with the show! Er, story!**

**DISCLAIMER: See other chapters! **

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**Chapter Eleven: Malcontent**

Since the final signature she needed was so important, Ginny waited until the next Sunday, then traipsed up to the Headmaster's office, a girl with a mission.

"Fizzing Whizbees," she said to the stone gargoyle. Draco had asked Professor Snape for the password, then relayed it to Ginny. The gargoyle sprang to life and she proceeded into the Headmaster's office.

"Come in," was the reply to her knock.

"Hi, Professor Dumbledore," Ginny said in greeting.

"Good morning Ginevra," the bearded wizard was the only one who constantly called her 'Ginevra'. "How may I help you?"

"Um..." she stalled, not sure of how to start, but then decided to get right to it. "Will you let me switch Houses?"

"Ah, yes, the House Reversal Regulation," Dumbledore said wisely. "I was aware that someone was invoking it."

"Well, it was me," Ginny said, smiling weakly.

"And I was visited by that person earlier this morning," Dumbledore revealed . "And I gave them my signature. I'm sorry, Ginevra."

"What?" Ginny exploded, forgetting for a convenient second that she was standing in the Headmaster of Hogwarts' office. "Well... You'll sign mine too, won't you?"

"I'm afraid not," said Dumbledore, looking a bit sorry for her. "I am only allowed to give one signature permitting the use of the House Reversal Regulation per year. I'm sorry, Ginevra. Maybe next year."

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

"He said _what_?" Draco demanded.

Ginny repeated everything the Headmaster had told her for the second time to the group of Slytherins.

"I can't believe this," the blond sank into one of the chairs in the Slytherin common room. "You can't stay in _Gryffindor _until next year!"

"And," Theodore interrupted, "who is it that got Dumbledore's signature in the first place?"

"When I find out who it is, I'll hex them into next week!" Draco hissed. "_We _found out about the House Reversal Regulation _first_!"

"And I'm pretty sure nobody else knows how to work it," Blaise interjected. We just told the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws to sign the petition, and the wonderful group of Gryffindors don't even know _what _they signed."

"That's another thing," Astoria mused. "I'm almost certain that the only people who even _knew _about the House Reversal Regulation were in Slytherin."

"And mostly every Slytherin we asked didn't mind you switching into our House," Daphne concluded. "Except for maybe, y'know, Pansy..."

"I don't think Pansy could do something like this," Theodore said.

"True," Draco agreed, sniggering. "She doesn't have the brains."

"Apart from Pansy, who else could've gotten to Dumbledore before us?" Ginny asked, growing increasingly more desperate.

"I don't know," Theodore sounded defeated. "I guess the House Reversal Regulation plan is null and void."

"It can't be!" Draco sounded extremely aggravated. "She can't just be a _Gryffindor _for the rest of the year! She got almost every signature, she belongs _here_!"

"You really want me in your House that badly?"

"Of course," Blaise said matter-of-factly. "You fit in with our group. You're our friend now. You practically _are _a Slytherin, with the slight setback of you being in Gryffindor." Ginny laughed.

"I don't know what to do, though," she said, shaking her head. "I don't think I can bear going back to that common room after being here, with you guys. I don't know why the Sorting Hat ever put me in Gryffindor, if _this _has always been here for me."

"_This _what?"

"This family, this love, this friendship," Ginny said, trying her hardest not to burst into tears. "I... We _all _worked to get those signatures, to ensure me a spot in this House, and now that I know I have to give it up, I don't know what's going to happen!" Daphne slung an arm over Ginny's shoulder.

"We'll always be here for you, Gin'," she said comfortingly. Ginny gave her a watery smile.

"But I'll always have to go back to Gryffindor Tower at night," she said, sighing at the prospect. "I just can't wait for this year to be over... I want to be in Slytherin so badly it hurts!"

"What if I told you..." Astoria stood up, sounding sly. "That _I _knew the person who got Dumbledore's signature?" Instantly, every eye was upon her.

"What?" Draco leapt up. "Tell me now!"

Astoria smirked playfully. "What if I don't want to?"

Draco sat back down slowly. "Way to mess with me, Astoria. You don't even know who it is. Thanks for that."

"Ginny?" Astoria said softly. The redhead looked at the blonde questioningly. "Welcome to Slytherin."

A piece of parchment fluttered into Ginny's lap, bearing only two words. But those two words were all that mattered.

_Albus Dumbledore._

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

"Why did you get the signature for Ginny?" Daphne asked her sister after the general commotion that had ensued died down.

"I just wanted to shake it up a little," Astoria said, still smiling broadly at Ginny's expression.

"I can't believe it," Ginny said breathlessly, grinning at everything and everyone, even Pansy, who was glowering in a corner. "I'm a Slytherin! I thought it was over, I thought I'd have to wait for next year..."

"I just didn't want you to take it for granted," Astoria explained, suddenly serious. "I thought I should see how much you wanted it." Ginny smiled at her new Housemate.

"And _how _much do I want it?"

"Who said anything about _wanting _it, now?" Astoria laughed. "You _have _it!"

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

November the twenty-fourth, the day of the champions' first task dawned, a bright, sunny day. Ginny practically ran out of Gryffindor Tower.

With everyone so obsessed with the Triwizard Tournament, Ginny hadn't gotten a chance to speak with the Headmaster about the House Reversal Regulation and to explain that Astoria had gotten his signature _for _her. He always seemed to be surrounded by either groups of students and teachers or Maxime and Karkaroff, the Heads of Beuxtbatons and Durmstrang.

But Ginny vowed to herself that she would corner Dumbledore when the first task was completed.

Speaking of the first task, Ginny hadn't the faintest idea of what it was. She had passed Cedric in the hall; he was practicting wand movements and incantations with every step he took.

Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour were equally obsessed. Krum spent most of his time in the library, Fleur talking in hushed tones with her Headmistress.

Ginny had heard whispered snatches of Harry and Hermione's conversation last night in the common room, and deduced that they too, were thinking about the upcoming challenge.

"_Accio_, Harry. It's _Accio_. Don't worry, we'll practice some more later, you'll be fine!" Hermione had whispered.

_A Summoning Charm? _Ginny had wondered. _What's Potter need a Summoning Charm for?_

She was waiting, along with her fellow students, to find out. The rest of the Slytherins had joined her, and they were walking towards the arena where the first challenge was being held.

She caught the briefest glimpse of the Gryffindor's red and gold banners proclaiming their support for Harry Potter, before Blaise shoved some fabric into her hands.

"Wha--"

"Hold it up!" Blaise commanded from her left. The whole row of Slytherins and Ginny did so, and she peeked under to get a look at whatever it was.

It was a huge banner which read "CEDRIC DIGGORY" in gigantic letters, and it flashed green and silver, then yellow and black, and finally blue and copper, before starting over again. Only the gold and maroon of Gryffindor were absent.

"You like?" Blaise asked over the tumultuous applause as Ludo Bagman started the competition. Ginny was about to reply, but the words died in her throat as a monstorous dragon was brought into the arena. Ginny recognized it as a Welsh Green from a book that Charlie had once given her.

"They're going to _fight _that thing?" she screamed over the noise of the crowd.

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**Wow. Slytherins rock.**

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	12. Chapter 12: Malaise

**Hey guys... This is the last chapter of "Ginny's Scene Change" before I leave for the beach for a week... So enjoy it, and enjoy it well! SEVEN DAYS UNTIL HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE COMES OUT! :)**

**Disclaimer: Do you really think if I owned Harry Potter that I'd waste my time writing this?**

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**Chapter Twelve: Malaise**

A hush had fallen over the arena.

"I don't think they have to _fight _it," Theodore said, taking advantage of the silence to converse with his fellow Slytherins and Ginny. "Look," he pointed at the clutch of eggs the dragon was guarding, "it's a female."

"So?" Draco stopped staring at the dragon long enough to say nastily. "Who cares about its gender when one of the champions is about to be obliterated by it?"

"Because," Theodore spat back, "Look at her eggs. You see the golden one? That's not natural."

"So one baby dragon has an egg color defect," Draco said. "Once again, so?"

"_So_," Theodore retaliated, "I think the champions have to _get that egg_." Draco's eyebrows raised.

"What an odd challenge."

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

The "odd challenge" proved to be extremely interesting to watch. The crowd booed and cheered the champions as they each came out, one by one, and attempted to retrieve the golden egg (as Theodore had predicted).

Cedric came into the enclosure first, and didn't seem surprised by the dragon at all. Ginny suspected cheating, but it wasn't like she was going to do anything about it, she was too busy watching the drama unfold.

Cedric's eyes flitted up to the stands, and Ginny swore she saw him smile when his eyes came to rest on their banner. His attention was then immediately back on the dragon.

He did a bit of advanced Transfiguration, and turned a boulder into a Labrador retriever. Ginny heard Blaise whistle slowly, and she knew what he meant. Her class had just finished Transfiguring mice, they were nowhere near dogs!

Cedric's marks were shown, and Fleur came out with her head held high. She started by waving her wand in lazy circles at the furious dragon before her, muttering an incantation under her breath. Puffs of lilac smoke emerged from her wand tip, engulfing the dragon's head in a haze. It seemed to be under some sort of trance, but snorted, and sent a jet of flame at Fleur's skirts. She quickly put the fire out with the _Aguamenti _charm before retrieving her egg and her marks.

Krum was next, and he wasted no time. He shot a series of rapid-fire spells at the dragon, obviously aiming for its eyes, the weakest part of the dragon, but missed. The spells did nothing but aggravate the already agitated dragon. It roared, and the hairs on the nape of Ginny's neck stood on end.

Krum cursed loudly, and shot more spells. One finally found its mark, sinking deep into the dragon's left eye. The beast howled in rage and pain, and Krum wasted no time in running towards the nest of eggs, and the golden one that was his goal. But he had to jump out of the way as the dragon came blundering through, squashing half of the real eggs in the process.

Ginny watched anxiously as Krum darted- surprisingly quick on his feet- through the dragon's legs, scooping up the golden egg in the process.

Krum's marks were by far the best; he was winning the Tournament so far.

The last champion came into the arena, looking petrified. Mingled cheers and boos assaulted Harry Potter as he gazed at the assembled faces, and then at the dragon.

A Hungarian Horntail.

Charlie had told her stories about that particular breed, and she watched with bated breath as her friend-turned-enemy prepared to battle it. He thrust his wand to the sky, opened his mouth...

"ACCIO FIREBOLT!"

The dragon bent its head to gaze at Harry, smoke furling from its flared nostrils. The crowd stared as Harry did nothing to repel the beast, no hexes, no spells, nothing.

The dragon's jaws suddenly opened, and it roared- a bone-chilling, hair-raising sound. All the way in the stands, Ginny saw his eyes widen in fear. A flash of emotion shot through her body at the sight of her former secret love standing before a dragon, helpless.

Fear. Fear for him, that he would soon become just another casualty of the Triwizard Tournament, just another statistic.

Guilt. Guilt for the way she had treated him, the cutting comments whispered with a menacing tone to her voice, the House Reversal Regulation.

Anger. Anger for the fact that he thought he was even participating in the Triwizard Tournament, that he thought he was good enough, that having an oddly-shaped scar made him special, tough enough to take on dragons.

And finally, uncertainty. Uncertainty that what she was doing was right.

And as suddenly as it had come, it was gone, replaced by the roar of the crowd. Harry's Firebolt broomstick had just zoomed into the arena, and the Gryffindors in the crowd were going wild.

Ginny watched silently as he ducked and swerved around the dragon, eventually retrieving his egg with only one scratch along the length of his arm.

Ginny sighed. It was so typical. Perfect Potter goes into the Healing tent, and emerges not only without his previous injury, but also laughing and talking with Ron as if they hadn't just had the row of the century. Then the judges show his marks, and lo and behold, he's tied with Krum for first place.

The Slytherins booed, but Ginny was silent.

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	13. Chapter 13: Malice

**Well, back to the old grind, I guess, as vacation is over...**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing you recognize!**

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**Chapter Thirteen: Malice**

Ginny had an intense, throbbing headache.

It was almost ten o'clock in the Gryffindor common room, and the party that had been going since early that afternoon was still going strong. Having to work on Transfiguration homework, she had pinned her 'Potter Stinks' badge resolutely to the front of her shirt and dove headfirst into the pile of books and parchment.

But it was no use trying to concentrate, as the party was reaching obscene levels of noise. Fred and George had even let loose some Filibuster's Fireworks, and the multicolored sparks seemed to be everywhere. She felt like screaming with frustration.

"Having fun?" a sneering voice questioned in her ear. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. She'd know that voice anywhere, as she had once worshiped it. Harry.

"Tons of fun," she replied, trying to put her vast supplies of anger, sarcasm, and resentment into those three words. "I mean, who likes to do homework in _peace _and _quiet_? Congratulations on the Tournament thing, by the way." He simply sneered at her.

"You think you're so great, strutting around the school, surrounded by your amazing new friends," he said, his voice suddenly low and menacing. "Believe me, one day you'll wish you stuck with me, Ron, and Hermione as friends."

"Is that a threat?" she said, trying to keep the slightest tremor from her voice. Hated enemy or not, it was still unnerving to be threatened by Harry Potter.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he said, practically baring his teeth. "You are horrible, disgusting and vile. I can't believe I ever felt something for you."

This declaration floored her.

"You... you _liked _me?"

"Notice the past tense," he spat. "Not anymore. May I remind you of the words I used earlier. _Horrible. Disgusting. Vile. _That's how I see you now. You _will _regret how you've been treating us, and soon. So start drafting your apology speech, Weasley. Not that we'll believe a word of it."

Her mouth fell open. The hostility was pouring off him in waves. She had never seen him this angry.

Nothing he had said affected her, however. She was, by now, used to the attitude she received from the Gryffindors.

"The feeling is mutual," she said coldly, and gathered her books and papers. She stalked up the stairs to her dormitory, leaving Harry Potter behind, still smoldering with rage.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Ginny awoke with a start. Something was wrong.

For one thing, it was two o'clock in the morning, but that wasn't it. Her head felt abnormally light, and her bedsheets were itchy. She reached under her covers, and withdrew her hand, clutching something furry. For a minute she thought Crookshanks had left a mousy present between her sheets, but then she held the thing up to the moonlight.

It was a clump of hair.

_Red _hair.

She ran her hands over her head and bit down hard on her tongue to stop from shrieking. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

She fled down the dungeon steps, through the labyrinth, to a well-traversed place. She threw herself at the wall, banging on the rough stone with her fists, hysterical.

"DRACO!" she screamed, scraping her knuckles on the stone. They bled, but she didn't notice. "BLAISE! ASTORIA! _ANYONE_!"

She couldn't believe the fact that they (meaning the Golden Trio) had cut her hair off. Her long, glossy, Weasley-red hair. Basically the only aspect of herself that she actually _liked_. Gone. In its place, the hair was cropped unevenly and close to her skull.

_It's shorter then Blaise's hair, _she thought frantically, still banging on the wall fruitlessly. _It's shorter then Draco's. Hell, it's probably shorter then Theodore's. _Tears ran down her cheeks. She only needed someone to talk to. Some advice. Some comfort would be an added and appreciated bonus.

_Why in the name of Merlin doesn't the Slytherin common room have a doorbell?_

Just as she was thinking this, the concealed stone door slid open, and Ginny faced two irate and sleepy-looking people.

Draco and Blaise.

"Way to wake the whole castle," Blaise said as he yawned. "What do you want, Gin'?" She stepped into the common room, into the glow cast by the dying fire. Two pairs of eyes, dark brown and grey, widened.

"What happened to _you_?"

"They cut it off," Ginny choked out. "All of it. It's gone."

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

"This is low, even for Slytherins," Astoria breathed as she ran her hands over Ginny's shorn head. They (meaning herself, along with Daphne, Draco, Blaise and Theodore) were gathered in the deserted Slytherin common room, fifteen minutes after Ginny had woken up to find the hair in her bed.

"I can't believe they did that to your poor head," Daphne said. "And right after Potter said he used to fancy you..."

"He said _what_?" Blaise snapped, head jerking out of his arms.

"Yeah, I didn't hear this new addition to the story either," Draco said, looking interested.

Ginny sighed. "I was quietly _trying_ to do my homework when Potter came up and sarcastically asked me if I was having fun. I replied with an equal measure of sarcasm that yes, indeed, I was having a ton of fun. He then became extremely hostile, and said that one day I'd wish that I would've stayed friendly with him, Granger, and my brother. I asked him if that was a threat, and then he insulted me more then once. Then he said he liked me, and I asked him if he really did. He told me to notice the past tense, insulted me again, multiple times, said that I'd regret treating them badly, told me to write an apology speech, then called me _Weasley_. I told him the feeling was mutual, went to bed, and woke up at two in the morning to _this_."

"I cannot _stand _Harry Potter," Draco growled. The rest of the room was silent.

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**There it was... Did you like it? Did you hate it? REVIEW! :)**

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	14. Chapter 14: Mercurial

**Hello one and all! Here's the new installment... Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: See other chapters....**

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**Chapter Fourteen: Mercurial**

Ten minutes after the retelling of her story, they were still grouped in the common room. It was a unanimous decision that Ginny should spend the night there, and they had all decided to camp out with her. Draco and Theodore had restarted the fire, and Daphne had disappeared into a side room and reappeared with piles of blankets and pillows, and a thermos full of hot chocolate.

"Daphne, how'd you do that?" Ginny questioned.

"House elves," the blonde said briskly. "They're always ready to help with anything, and when I told them of your... ah, _predicament_, they threw in the hot chocolate." Ginny ran her hands over her head subconsciously.

"Is it really that bad?"

"You look like Hagrid gave you a haircut," Theodore said bluntly.

"Thanks," Ginny deadpanned. She loved Hagrid, but he wouldn't ever be a good hairstylist. "What am I supposed to do about it?"

"There's always _wigs_," Draco supplied helpfully.

"Yeah," Astoria said sarcastically. "Like any self-respecting teenage girl wants to go around wearing a _wig _when she still has her real hair!" Draco shrugged.

"It was just a suggestion, 'storia!"

"And I don't want to hide my hair anyway," Ginny burst out. "It's what they want! They want me to be ashamed of it, ashamed of what I've done to them! And I'm not going to let them have that satisfaction!"

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Blaise asked. "No offense, but it looks horrible. We have _classes _tomorrow!"

Ginny fingered a long piece near her forehead. The whole haircut was like that, short in some places, longer in others.

"Anyone fancy giving me a makeover?"

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

The Slytherin common room was silent, and for a good reason; it was four o'clock in the morning. Five figures could be seen sleeping, sprawled at random on the room's many sofas and chairs. The sixth figure, a petite red-haired girl, was staring at herself in a hand mirror.

Her face was nondescript, brown eyes, scattered freckles, full lips. But it was her hair that was remarkable.

If you were a Muggle, you'd call it a pixie cut. If you were a wizard, you'd call it unusual.

And she loved it.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Ginny woke up to a hand shaking her shoulder.

"Wake up!" Draco's familiar voice hissed in her ear. "It's six A.M. You've got to get back to your common room!"

"Huh..." Ginny groaned sleepily.

"Come on!" Draco steered her to the door, ignoring her protests. "You shouldn't be seen waking up in our common room! You're not a Slytherin _yet_!"

"Fine, fine, I'll leave!"

"See you later, Weasel," he whispered, and the door hidden in the stone wall slid shut.

She walked tiredly up to Gryffindor Tower and collapsed onto a sofa in the common room.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Ginny awoke an hour later to the melodious sounds of feet clomping down the girls and boys staircases. She quickly slipped upstairs into her dormitory and changed for the day, all too aware of the Gryffindor crest on the front of her robes.

The Great Hall was bustling when Ginny stepped into it. Not all heads, but a great many of them, turned her way; and the whispering began.

"Look at her hair! It's so short!"

"I always knew Weasleys were insane!"

"I don't know, it kind of looks good on her..."

"She looks _gorgeous_!"

"What on earth possessed her to cut it?"

Ginny acted like she couldn't hear the whispers, and sat at her usual secluded spot at the Gryffindor table. But it wasn't secluded for long.

"Hey, Ginny!"

Two fifth-year Hufflepuff girls who Ginny had never seen in her life sat down across from her.

"Um," she said uncertaintly, "do I know you?"

"Your haircut is _so _cute," one of the girls rambled while the other nodded enthusiastically. "Can you tell us where you got it done?"

"Do I _know _you?" Ginny repeated forcefully.

"Oh, no," one of them said. "You wouldn't... We're two years above you. But I'm Cherish, and this is Kristinia. Now, about that haircut... Is it professionally done?"

"Astoria Greengrass did it," Ginny said bluntly, as Cherish's shrill voice was giving her the beginnings of a headache. She pointed over to the Slytherin table, where the blonde in question was talking animatedly with Theodore.

"You let a... _Slytherin _cut your hair?" Kristinia stared at Ginny like she had committed some sort of horrendous crime. "I would _never _let one of them near my head with a pair of scissors!"

Ginny's mouth dropped open.

"And _why _wouldn't it be okay for a Slytherin to cut your hair?"

"Because," Kristinia said in an annoyingly superior voice, as this was common information that everyone should know. "You'd never know what they'd _do _to it, would you? They're children of Death Eaters, they're evil! And _why _would you ever let an evil person near your head with a pair of scissors, unless you have a death wish?"

"WHAT?" Ginny said in a raised voice, ignoring the shocked looks on both girls' faces. "Just because their parents made wrong choices, you immediately label them as EVIL? Honestly? You'd never even try to get to know them?" Two pairs of eyes narrowed. "That's what I thought. You really need to get over yourself. Just because a person's in Slytherin doesn't automatically make them evil!"

"Of course _you'd _think that," Kristinia sneered. "You ditched your own House to become friends with _them_."

"And by the way," Ginny said with an equal sneer, choosing to ignore Kristinia's jibe. "I wouldn't let anyone near your head anyway. They might get lost in that forest you try to pass off as human hair." Kristinia grabbed at perfect strands of glossy hair self-conciously, as Cherish grabbed her arm, glared at Ginny, and pulled her friend away.

Ginny returned to her breakfast, but almost immediately after the Hufflepuffs had left, a stringy looking Ravenclaw fourth-year took their place. He didn't sit, but placed himself directly in front of Ginny, twisting his hands nervously.

"Um... Hello," he began. "I'm not sure if you know me... I'm in your brother's year... My name's Robert."

"Hi, Robert," Ginny said wearily. Was a peaceful breakfast too much to ask? "What do you want?"

"Uh, well, um, I was just wondering if... If you'd go with me next Hogsmeade weekend?" he said the last bit quickly, as if he was getting it over with.

"Oh, sorry Robert," Ginny said, trying to mask her surprise at getting asked out so abruptly. "I already have plans for that day." This, of course, was a lie.

"Oh, um, sorry to waste your time," Robert said, blushing a furious red. "Maybe we could study sometime?" But he was talking to thin air, as Ginny had already picked up her plate and relocated to the Slytherin table.

"Hey, Haircut," Blaise said, grinning, as she sat down next to Daphne. "Seen three certain Gryffindors lately?"

"No," Ginny replied, "I was too busy being assaulted!" And she recounted the time spent in the company of Cherish, Kristinia, and Robert.

"The Hufflepuffs are just jealous of my haircutting abilities," Astoria said. "And why shouldn't they be? It looks amazing!"

"Aside from a certain _someone's _egotistical rants," Draco interrupted, "_please _say you're not going to Hogsmeade with that Ravenclaw!"

"I told him I had other plans."

"Which is a lie." He smirked.

"I know it's a lie!" Ginny growled. "And why did you get all horrified when I said he asked me out?"

"Because in me, Draco, Blaise and Theodore's second year," Daphne began, "he asked me to have a little "study date" with him, and I went." She cringed, apparently embarrassed by this. "Afterwards, he asked me out again, and I politely declined. He asked again, and I told him that I wasn't interested in anything he had to offer." Correctly interpreting the look on Ginny's face, she went on. "It may have seemed harsh at the time, but the story doesn't end here."

"Oh no, it definitely goes on," Draco said, smirking.

"Shut up!" Daphne said lightly. "_Robert _never left me alone. He was like my stalker! He got into all of my classes somehow, and followed me everywhere!" It was horrid..."

"How'd you get him to leave you alone?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, he eventually moved on," Daphne sounded nonchalant. "Although a little talking-to from Professor Snape might've helped a bit." Ginny grinned.

"At least now I know how to rid myself of stalkers!"

"Yeah," Daphne grinned along with her. "Get Professor Snape to "talk" to them."

"Hey," Blaise stage-whispered. "Look who just walked in."

Ginny looked over, and saw the Golden Trio, Harry at the head and Hermione and Ron trailing after him. They stood in the entrance for a moment, scanning the Great Hall, presumably for her. His eyes met hers. They traveled upwards and came to rest on her hair.

He showed no surprise that her hair was cut, confirming her suspicions, but his eyes _did _narrow with malice at what she'd done with it. She turned her back.

"He's mad," she relayed to the Slytherins. "I've gotta talk with Dumbledore before tonight; maybe he'll let me move to Slytherin tonight. I don't think it'll be safe for me to stay in Gryffindor Tower for another night."

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**Thanks for reading! Review away, good folks!**

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	15. Chapter 15: Myriad

**Hey people of the fanfiction universe! The dedication of this chapter goes out to...**

**DEDICATION: My biffles, IAmCharlie, and SawyersFangirl, who are both at the same camp WITHOUT me! I hope you two aren't having TOO much fun, and I can't wait to see SawyersFangirl's Weasley-red hair! I love you both! :)**

**Now, for the Disclaimer...**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter!**

**Enjoy the chapter! **

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**Chapter Fifteen: Myriad**

"Dumbledore! Professor Dumbledore!"

Ginny raced down the hall after the Headmaster. He looked behind him, saw that Ginny wasn't about to give up until she talked to him, and stopped to wait for her.

"What would you like, Ginevera?" he asked calmly.

"It's about the House Reversal Regulation," she panted as she skidded up next to him in an undignified way.

"I thought that I had already explained that I can only give out one signature per year." Dumbledore's tone was still kind, but Ginny thought that she saw a glimmer of annoyance in a blue eye.

"You did," she explained, "but the person who got your signature didn't get it for herself, she got it for me."

"Astoria Greengrass willingly gave you my signature?" Dumbledore asked, sounding faintly amused. "How did you manage that? Blackmail? Threats? Bribery?"

"I didn't _threaten _or _blackmail _anyone to get your signature!" Ginny said hotly, forgetting that she was talking to the Headmaster. "I have all the signatures required, and I didn't do anything illegal to get them! Now can you _please _let me switch into Slytherin?" Dumbledore's face instantly became serious.

"Did you just say you want to switch into Slytherin?"

"Yes?" Ginny replied, confused.

"Why don't you wish to remain in Gryffindor?" Ginny opened her mouth to answer, but Dumbledore continued. "Generations of Weasleys have been in Gryffindor, all of your brothers are and have been Gryffindors, your mother and father were in Gryffindor, and you want to switch into Slytherin? Have you no idea the amount of family strife this will cause?"

"When I first came to Hogwarts," Ginny said, looking defiantly at the old wizard, "my mother told me that she would still love me no matter _what _House I was sorted into. Houses don't define love, professor. But I guess some people put a little too much on House loyalty." She ran a hand through her hair, thinking of Ron. "I have all of the names I need." She handed Dumbledore a sheaf of parchment. "I'm a Slytherin."

"Very well," Dumbledore said quietly. "I'll make the announcement at dinner tonight. Congratulations, Ginevera."

Ginny's face broke into an elated grin, and she raced down the hallway towards the dungeons.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

She burst into the first dungeon classroom she found, gasping for breath. When she looked up, she found that the entire classroom full of fourth-year Gryffindors and Slytherins were looking questioningly at her, as well as Professor Snape. Neville Longbottom wasn't aware, but the tray full of knotgrass beside him was on fire.

"Yes, Miss Weasley?" Snape said coldly.

"Um, Professor? Would it be okay if I... er... spoke with you outside?" She resolutely ignored the looks that the Golden Trio were shooting her. He stood up, and she stammered, "could, um, could Draco, Blaise, Daphne and Theodore come too?"

"Very well," he said. "Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Zabini, Miss Greengrass, and Mr. Nott. Please follow me. And Longbottom, your knotgrass is on fire." He swept out of the classroom, with them in his wake. "What on _earth _is so important that you need me to pause a lesson?"

"I did it," Ginny said, unable to keep a wide grin from snaking across her face. "I'm a Slytherin."

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Ginny rarely wrote in her diary; after the horrific events of her first year at Hogwarts, she usually regarded diaries warily. But this particular book was given to her by Mrs. Weasley, so it contained no danger of being posessed by Voldemort.

Ginny only used it to record what happened to her on important or exciting days, so, needless to say, the diary didn't get written in very often. But she felt that today was very deserving of a lengthy entry.

_Dear Diary, _Ginny wrote.

_This has to be one of the best days of my life. It needs more then a diary entry, it should have its own holiday! November twenty-fifth, the day Ginny Molly Weasley was made a Slytherin._

_Of course, it hasn't happened yet. Dumbledore's going to make the announcement tonight, in front of the entire school! I even pre-wrote my letter to mum, so I can owl it using Astoria's owl before Ron even has a chance to get to Pigwidgeon!_

_Let me just recap what happened today before I have to go down to dinner (I'm sitting in my four-poster in Gryffindor Tower with the blinds drawn so nobody can disturb me)._

_After I informed Professor Snape (soon to be my Head of House!) that I had gotten all of the signatures I needed to become a Slytherin, he congratulated me, and I swear he smiled. Just maybe for like a second, but still. Snape, smile? And at me, no less!_

_He then let Draco, Blaise, Daphne and Theodore out of class early, and gave us a slip of parchment with his signature and told us to get Astoria out of Herbology, We did so, to the displeasure of Professor Sprout, and then we all went back to the Slytherin common room._

_They all made me tell them about my encounter with Dumbledore again, and then, when everyone came down to the common room before lunch, they introduced me everyone again, telling them that I was now part of their House._

_The first year girls are Brittney Crosby, Sabrina Nix and Emilee Sheppard. Brittney's tall and brunette, Sabrina is short, thin, and tan, and Emilee's tall and outgoing._

_The first year boys are Malcom Baddock, Skylar Evans and Graham Pritchard. Malcom's short and dark, Skyler is blond and skinny, and Graham has dark red hair and light blue eyes._

_The second year girls are Penn Quigley, Clio Underhill, Keri Brooks and Jessica Harper. Penn's small and scholarly, Clio has square glasses and long, dark hair, Keri's black and friendly, and Jessica hugged me as soon as we met._

_The second year boys are Steven Cavanaugh and Nathan Massey. Steven is shy and has freckles, and Nathan's blond and funny._

_The other third year girl (besides me and Astoria) is Vivienne Longe. She's quiet and usually sits in the same corner every night, reading or doing homework._

_The third year boys are Paul Hunt, Nikko Royce and Jeremy Smith. Paul has brown hair and green eyes, Nikko's loud and hyper, and Jeremy likes to make jokes and is extremely friendly._

_The fourth years I already know, but I'm listing them anyway. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Crabbe and Goyle, Daphne Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson, and another girl named Millicent Bulstrode._

_The fifth year girls are Alynn Mendel, Marbella Flint, Aroura Marin, Maryanna Simms and Laura Bloom. Alynn's a prefect, but very laid-back, Marbella is Marcus Flint's sister, and the first to break the no-girls rule for the Slytherin Quidditch team, Aroura is dark-skinned and always smiling, Maryanna has deep blue eyes and blonde hair, and Laura's short and has an infectious laugh._

_The fifth year boys are Evan Larker, Carlos Harban, Les Bixler, and Orlando Daniels. Evan has longer brown hair and piercing light blue eyes, Carlos has three girl cousins who go to Beuxtbatons and an uncle who went to Durmstrang, Les is tall and timid, and Orlando is a prefect and, it seems, very hot-tempered._

_The sixth year girls are Fabian Walsh, Marissa Grafton, Zandy Mitchells and Alyssa Tatum. Fabien's a prefect and very strict, kind of like Percy, Marissa is lighthearted and stylish, Zandy is introverted and doesn't talk much, and Alyssa's very talkative, but seems like also a good listener. _

_The sixth year boys are Terrence Higgs, Jackson Greer and Louis Wolfert. Terrence has close-cropped brown hair and dark eyes, Jackson is loud and joking, and Louis does nothing but study._

_The seventh year girls are Masterson Storm, Hannah Ford, Gabrielle Carlyle and Kyra Bryant. Masterson's Head Girl, but she's very funny and friendly. Hannah and Gabrielle are kind of a double act, like the female versions of Fred and George. Hannah's brunette and energetic, and Gabrielle's blonde and vivacious. Kyra has light brown hair and is always laughing._

_The seventh year boys are Liam Derrick, Patrick Bole and Aiden Blair. Liam's a Beater on the Quidditch team and not very bright, and Patrick's out of the same mold. Aiden is tall, blond, and extremely attractive._

_So there you have it, my new Housemates in a nutshell. I'd better run, dinner starts in five minutes, and I _definitely _don't want to be late; today of all days!_

_-Ginny_

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**So there you have it!**

**READ AND REVIEW!  
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	16. Chapter 16: Mutability

**Hey... It's me again! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but there was a lot going on. All good stuff, though! My biffles came home from camp, we went to Purple Door (this amazing Christian concert), and Family Force 5 was there! For all of you who don't know, FF5 is this awesome band, and I'd go and listen to them right now, if I was you. And remember, it's okay to shake our badonkadonks for Jesus! :)  
**

**DEDICATION: This chapter goes out to Phatty, Crouton, Soul Glow Activator, Chap Stique, Nadaddy and Xanadu! Way to put on an awesome concert, boys! Keep it C-R-U-N-K in the USA!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter! **

**IN OTHER NEWS: I'm changing this story's title from "Ginny's Scene Change" to just "Scene Change". Just thought I'd let you guys know.**

**IN OTHER, OTHER NEWS: Today's my birthday! :)  
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**Chapter Sixteen: Mutability**

"Students, ghosts, guests, and teachers," Dumbledore said as he stood up from his place at the head table. "I hope you have had an enjoyable dinner, and I promised not to keep you long from your evening activities, but I have a rather important announcement to make. If you were not previously aware, there is a way to switch Houses." He ignored the gasps and whispers that ensued after this statement, and continued. "I will give no further details on this subject, as finding it is half the challenge. But there is one particular student who has fufilled all of the requirements, Ginevera Molly Weasley, please come to the front."

Ginny got up from her seat at the Gryffindor table, perfectly aware that she would never sit there again, and tried not to blush at the hundreds of eyes on her. She walked up to Dumbledore, head held high. Later, she swore she heard a wolf-whistle that came from the Slytherin table, but she couldn't be sure.

"Ginevera," the old wizard said solemnly, using the _Sonorous _charm so that everyone could hear, "do you want to switch Houses?"

"With all of my heart," Ginny said firmly, keeping her gaze away from the Gryffindor table.

"Professor Pomona Sprout," Dumbledore adressed the squat witch from where she was sitting at the head table. "Do you support Ginevera as she endevours to switch Houses?"

"Certainly, Professor Dumbledore." Ginny beamed at her.

"Professor Filius Flitwick?" He turned to the wizard who's head was barely seen over the top of the table.

"Yes, Dumbledore, of course!"

"Professor Minerva McGonagall?" Ginny watched her former Head of House clench her teeth before responding.

"Absolutely, Albus."

"And will you, Professor Severus Snape?"

Snape nodded. It was enough.

"Ginevera?" Dumbledore adressed her, and she stood a little straighter. "What House were you in until this moment?"

"Gryffindor!" Ginny said loudly, sneaking a glance at her brother. Ron's ears were flaming red, and he looked furious. She directed her gaze back at Dumbledore. Ron didn't matter at this moment.

"And what House will you now join, and be a part of, for the remainder of your days at Hogwarts and the years beyond?" Ginny took a deep breath.

"SLYTHERIN!" Ginny bellowed as loud as she could. Dumbledore waved his wand over her, and she looked down. Her Hogwarts uniform was completely changed, and in place of the familiar Gryffindor crest, there was one in green and silver. _Slytherin _green and silver. Her face broke out into a huge grin.

The Slytherin table erupted in cheers. Theodore shot streamers and confetti out of his wand, and Astoria and Daphne ran forward to engulf her in hugs.

"WAIT just a bloody second!"

Ginny froze. That was Ron's voice.

Her red-haired brother stormed up and aisle between two tables. He was crimson-faced and there was a frenzied glint in his eye-- Ginny half expected smoke to start coming out of his ears.

"Whaddya mean she's in Slytherin? She _can't _be in Slytherin! The Sorting Hat put her in bloody _Gryffindor_!"

"Mister Weasley!" McGonagall said, rising from her place at the head table. Ginny was pleased to note that she sounded livid. "Your sister has chosen her own way, and she is now in Slytherin! You will say no more on the matter, or I _will _give you a detention! Now go sit back down, before you embarass me, Gryffindor, or yourself any further!" Ron looked properly ashamed, and slunk back to the Gryffindor table, but not before shooting Ginny an evil glare.

Ginny just took a seat at the Slytherin table, not giving Ron a second thought. People began congradulating her, and re-welcoming her into their House. Ginny couldn't remember the last time she was this happy.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

It was dark, almost midnight, and all occupants of Slytherin House were asleep, save for two.

Astoria and Ginny were both sitting on Astoria's bed in the third-year girl's dormatories, and were talking, mainly about boys.

"I'll admit it, I havn't had a crush since I've gotten over Harry," Ginny said sheepishly. "I've liked him ever since my first year, it seems weird when I see him and my heart doesn't practically stop."

"I still can't believe you actually used to _fancy _him," Astoria said, shivering with distaste. "I mean, if you _like _short, scarred Seekers, that is..." Ginny laughed.

"Well then, Miss Perfect, who do _you _fancy?" Astoria shrugged. "Come on, don't even tell me there's no one! Not in this whole school of prospects? Well.... barring Gryffindors, that is..."

"Well, you know there's another Seeker..."

"_Draco_?" Ginny shrieked, "Astoria, you like _Draco_!"

"Shut up," Astoria said hastily, her cheeks burning a furious red. "I was talking about _Viktor Krum_, you idiot!" Ginny flushed with embarassment, and after a few awkward seconds passed, she spoke again.

"Well, if you _like _him so much, why don't you ask him out?"

"For one thing," Astoria responded, "he's eighteen. _And _he's a famous Quidditch player. _And _a champion. _And _he's got girls following him all the time. I really have a chance with him!"

"Well, if you aren't going to ask him, maybe I'll do it for you!"

"You wouldn't," Astoria said darkly, then brightened up. "You know, this Christmas we're having a Yule Ball!"

"A _what_?" said Ginny, not believing her ears. "A _ball_? What on earth would we have a _ball _for?"

"I have absolutely no idea," said Astoria, beaming. "All I know is that Snape's going to have a _talk _with the whole House about it soon, and... wait. It's only for fourth-years and up."

"What?" Ginny said indignantly.

"But we can go if an older student asks us," Astoria reasurred her. "If worst comes to worst, I'll blackmail somebody into taking me with my beauty and charm." Ginny snorted with laughter.

"Do you know if anyone got asked yet?"

"I heard that Pansy Parkinson asked Paul Hunt," Astoria whispered. "After, of course, she asked Draco. But he said no, and Paul said yes. But I only got this from Gab and Hannah, so you never know if it's true or just a rumor..."

"Gab and Hannah the seventh-years?"

"Yeah," Astoria replied. "They must be the most hilarious people I have ever met... It must be hard for them to appear aloof and cold for the rest of Hogwarts. They kind of remind me of your brothers."

"Fred and George," Ginny nodded, understanding. "I thought the exact same thing. So now that I'm a Slytherin, I have to act that way too, right?"

"Act like what, exactly?"

"Act all arrogant and careless like you do to the rest of the school."

"You make it sound like some sort of torture session," Astoria said, laughing. "It's actually kind of fun. You can't say being sarcastic to the likes of Potter, Longbottom, and those Creevey kids isn't going to be even a _little _bit of fun." Ginny smiled along with her.

"I can honestly say that this House is full of the most complex people I have ever met!"

"And what was your old House full of?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question?"

Astoria began laughing, for what, Ginny had no idea. But the blonde had an infectuous laugh, and before long, Ginny began giggling along with her. Then, a groan issued from the only other bed in the room.

"Would you two just shut up and go to bed?" Vivienne Longe snarled. "_Some of us _are trying to sleep!"

Still overcome by laughter, Ginny got into her own bed, smiled at Astoria, clicked off the small lamp that had been casting the room in a dim light, and waited for sleep to claim her.

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**So what do you think? A present for you on my birthday? And IamCharlie... Do you recognize Vivienne's line? Tee hee! :)**

**REVIEW, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!**

**:Hyperactive Lioness:  
**


	17. Chapter 17: Malign

**Oh my granny goodness, it HAS been a while. Ha ha, I'm sorry about keeping you guys waiting... I've been working on another story for another fandom, "The Sharpest Lives" for GONE by Michael Grant. It's an awesome book. Anyways, this'll probably be the only chapter for a while again, so enjoy it while you can!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter! At all!**

**DEDICATION: To the wonderful (ish) IAmCharlie, who pushed me to update this story again. Thanks... I guess! ^^  
**

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**Chapter Seventeen: Malign**

The next few weeks passed in kind of a haze for Ginny. Classes in the daytime, spending time with her fellow Slytherins in the common room at night.

It was one of those nights; Daphne, Astoria, and Blaise were playing Exploding Snap, Crabbe and Goyle were sitting close to the fire, and Theodore and Draco were sprawled in two armchairs, reviewing Potions notes. Ginny was reading the notice board pinned up to one wall, as there was a new flyer pinned on it.

"Hey guys," she yelled to her group of friends. "The talk with Snape about the Yule Ball is tomorrow after breakfast." Draco stood up and joined her at the board.

"I wonder what he's going to talk to us about?"

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

"Now," Snape said darkly. The entire Slytherin population was gathered in the common room, listening intently to their Head of House. "As you all know, the Yule Ball is coming upon us soon. I want _all _of you to be on your best behavior. Slytherin will _not _be the House to ruin Hogwarts' reputation. Now, for the younger students who are invited to go, if you do not know how to dance, please either choose not to or find a willing older student to teach you. Do not be afraid to ask questions, and when in doubt, find a prefect. Now go, or you all will be late for your classes."

The crowd dispersed, some older students staying in the common room. Ginny and Astoria, however, headed to Charms.

Ginny had been interested to see how the rest of Hogwarts' population was reacting to her House switch, and she wasn't disappointed. First of all, there was her new schedule. Just that Monday, she had Charms with the Hufflepuffs, Defense Against The Dark Arts by themselves, History of Magic with the Ravenclaws, Care of Magical Creatures with the Gryffindors, and Double Potions with the Gryffindors again. And then there had been the daunting task of sorting out who hated her and who didn't.

The Hufflepuffs in Charms with Flitwick were relatively easy to read. A few who Ginny was friendly with smiled at her, a few didn't even acknowledge her, and a few regarded her with apprehensive glances.

The Ravenclaws were pretty much the same, apart from a group of respectful students who were impressed by her show of book smarts in finding the House Reversal Regulation. Even after promising not to use it, they still didn't get the name of the book out of Ginny.

_Suck ups._

And the Gryffindors- every single Gryffindor- was hostile towards her. Ginny expected no less of her former House.

And speaking of that House, she still hadn't gotten a reply from her mother, and judging by the fact that she had recieved no Howlers at breakfast, Ron hadn't, either.

She just knew that someday, someday soon, it would come. And come it did.

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

Breakfast at the Slytherin table wasn't always interesting. Usually not everyone was there, most mornings Theodore stayed behind to finish homework, or someone (usually Draco) slept late and missed breakfast. But on that day, everyone was present.

Ginny was absentmindedly working her way through a plate of eggs and sausage, listening to Blaise and Daphne arguing about something or other, when the owls started arriving. Two of the birds immediately fluttered into the midst of their group; Draco's eagle owl and the Greengrasses tawny female, no doubt bearing letters from home.

Ginny was just going back to her food, when another owl caught her eye.

"Is that... _Errol_?" she muttered to nobody in particular. The Weasley's owl fluttered haphazardly until he fell with a muffled _thump _at the Slytherin table, an ominous red envelope clutched in his beak. Her eyes widened.

"They wouldn't..."

But they had.

Mrs. Weasley's booming voice, magnified even more by the vastness of the Great Hall, issued from the envelope. Ginny cringed at the anger in her mother's voice.

_"GINEVERA WEASLEY!" _the envelope screamed. Ginny winced as her mother's booming voice rang throughout the Great Hall. _"HOW COULD YOU TREAT YOUR FAMILY THIS WAY? SLYTHERIN?! **SLYTHERIN?! **WHEN RON SENT THAT LETTER, YOUR FATHER AND I WERE SHOCKED! NOT ONLY DID YOU COMPLETELY FLAUNT THE SORTING SYSTEM, BUT YOU RE-SORTED YOURSELF INTO THE VERY HOUSE THAT GENERATIONS OF WEASLEYS HAVE MANAGED TO AVOID! AND THEN RON GOES ON TO SAY EXACTLY **WHO **YOU'VE BEEN BEFRIENDING! I WOULD HAVE NEVER EXPECTED YOU TO CONSIDER, EVEN FOR A **MOMENT**, TO EVEN **TRY **TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH A MALFOY!"_

Ginny bit her lip in embarrassment. She was wondering when Draco's name was going to show up. But Mrs. Weasley was far from being finished.

_"AFTER ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED BETWEEN OUR FAMILIES, GINEVERA? AFTER ALL YOUR FATHER TOLD YOU? LUCIUS MALFOY IS A HORRIBLE MAN, AND I'M SURE HIS SON'S NO BETTER! i DON'T WANT YOU WITH PEOPLE LIKE THAT, GINEVERA. I CAN'T REVERSE YOUR RE-SORTING, AND I CAN'T ERASE YOUR RASH DECISION TO BECOME A SLYTHERIN, BUT I CAN WARN YOU TO STAY AWAY, STAY **FAR **AWAY FROM MALFOYS AND PEOPLE LIKE THEM. I AM DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, GINEVERA MOLLY WEASLEY! I THOUGHT WE HAD RAISED YOU BETTER!"_

The letter burst into flames.

Ginny shook herself mentally, and turned to face her Housemates. They stared blankly at her.

"Your mum sure is cheerful," Astoria deadpanned. Ginny just looked hopelessly at them all.

"I don't kno-- Wait, where's Draco?"

"He left," Blaise replied. "I don't know where he went. You probably didn't notice because the Howler still had your attention."

"He left?" Ginny repeated, the truth of what happened dawning on her as she gazed at the pile of ash, all that remained of her mother's Howler. "The Howler... Oh, no!"

"Yes, I'm afraid," Daphne said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not sure how he'll take your mum's reaction to you being in Slytherin."

"I have to go and find him," Ginny said hastily, standing up.

"I'll make your excuses to Flitwick." Astoria smiled.

"Thank you!"

"Try the Owlery first," Blaise advised. "I've found him there before."

**SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:SC:**

"Draco?" Ginny called out as she climbed the spiraling staircase to the Owlery. "Draco, are you up here?" She got to the top, and through the haze of drifting feathers and hooting birds, she saw the back of his familiar white-blond head staring out of a window.

"Draco," she said again, walking towards him and laying a hand on his shoulder. "My mum didn't mean--"

"I think it was pretty clear what she meant!" he said loudly, cutting her off and shrugging her hand away. "Your family and mine are enemies, and it's always going to be that way, so why don't you obey mummy and stay away from me?"

"I don't want to stay away from you," Ginny implored. "I thought we were _friends_, Draco!"

"Why would you ever want to be friends with a horrible person like me?" he asked sarcastically, turning his back on her and gazing out the window once again.

"You _aren't _a horrible person," Ginny said angrily. "My mum doesn't know what she's talking about! It's like what I told those two Hufflepuffs, Cherish and Kristinia. You shouldn't be judged by what House you're in, or by your parents. I'm sorry what my mum said in the Howler, Draco, but I want you to know that I don't feel the same." He turned to face her again.

"And I'm sorry that I'm causing problems between you and your family," he said softly. "And thank you for not seeing me from their view." She threw her arms around him, feeling his body tense, and then slowly relax as they embraced.

"You're welcome," she whispered in his ear. "And for my family, they can't control me. And it's _me _who'll have to live with my actions, not them." He laughed quietly.

"You, Ginny Weasley, are unlike anybody I have ever met."

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**Well, there you have it. Hmm... Maybe I'll update this story again soon, but it all depends on one thing... Your reviews! So do it! Click that little green button and tell me what you thought of it! ...Pwease?**

**And IAmCharlie, remember our deal! ;)**

**:Hyperactive Lioness:  
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